Dysfunctional
by stephfarrow94
Summary: Rasiel and Bel are adopted by Squalo and Xanxus after being taken from an abusive family. Bel, left with mental scars from the abuse, seeks comfort in Mammon, receiving the love and comfort he had never been given by his mother. Years later, Fran adds to the mix, his own childhood abuse taking its toll on his weak mind. Implied child abuse, F!Mx26xB F!MammonXFranXBel.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I've changed ****Xanxus****' and ****Squalo's****ages to that of the present time in the ****manga****/anime, as they'd be much too young to be adopting if I left their ages canon.**

Xanxus wasn't the kind of man who could see himself having children, much less adopting one - but here he was, following his lover of eight years into an orphanage because Squalo was complaining of their home being too quiet. How the twenty-two-year-old could possibly have come to that conclusion was beyond Xanxus as Squalo himself seemed void of the ability to not scream everything he was saying, and always got a wine glass (or even the kitchen chair on one occasion) thrown at him with the command to "Shut the fuck up, trash".

But here they were, following one of the workers through the orphanage, and all because Xanxus had had a particularly bad migraine and only gave in to his partner's whining to make him shut up. Was it worth it? He didn't think so.

"And just through here you'll find that the children are out of their rooms and playing." The female worker who was handling their request opened a wooden door, revealing what seemed to be a large living room filled with children. There were toys scattered all over the blue carpet, stains from paint all over the white walls, and masses of children all over the place.

"As you can see, we have quite the variety." The woman's long, brunet hair fell into her face as she pointed out some of the cliques and explained a bit about them. The majority of children were grouped up, talking loudly and laughing amongst themselves, and from what the two men could see, there were only two children who had been left out of the social activities.

The children were identical in looks, both with blond hair that covered their eyes. One of them wore a purple and black striped shirt while the other wore a simple white button-up. On their heads they both donned small tiaras, and the black pants they wore looked to be exactly the same.

The blond with the striped shirt had his head resting on the other's lap, his tiny hand gripping the white shirt tightly. The other blond was sitting, with his back to the wall, playing with building blocks. He stacked them carefully, not a single block out of place, before knocking them all over once the last piece had been added.

"Why aren't those two with anyone?" Squalo asked, pointing out the two blonds.

"They've only been here for about a week." The woman shifted uncomfortably as she glanced over at the boys, almost as if she didn't like them. "It seems they don't get along with anyone else. They're usually by themselves. Very quiet boys."

Squalo gripped his lover's hand, tugging him over to the boys - twins? Were they twins, or just so very, _very _similar?

Xanxus grunted, pulling his hand from the silver-haired male's. "I can walk by myself, trash."

Squalo ignored the dark-haired man's words, moving instead over to the two boys. He noticed the one playing with the building blocks had stopped in favour of watching his approach, and his eyes were sharp enough to notice the way the tiny boy tensed, almost as if the younger was expecting something bad to happen.

Just when the long-haired man was within talking distance of the boys, he knelt down, his arms resting on his knees as he observed the two closely. He could see the one that was watching him had a fading bruise on his cheek, almost as if someone had hit him. The other blond's face was hidden in the white button-up.

"What's your name?" Squalo asked, his dark eyes watching carefully for any hint of discomfort.

"..." The boy glanced down at the blond in his lap before he looked back up at Squalo, his hidden eyes giving the man no indication as to what he was feeling other than the frown that crossed the small face. "...Jill... This is Bel."

"Jill?" Squalo snorted. "Who was the moron who gave you both girl names?"

Jill pouted before he spoke again, his voice quiet. "They're only nicknames. My real name is Rasiel, and he is Belphegor. Our parents called us those names."

A smirk crossed Squalo's face; what interesting children. "How old are you both?"

"Eight." Rasiel looked down at Belphegor, his tiny hand reaching out to run through blond locks. "We're twins."

By now, Xanxus and the brunet woman had came to their sides, listening to Squalo's conversation with the twins. Xanxus wasn't interested, really not wanting any kids, but the woman was biting her lip as if worried about something.

Squalo reached out, resting a hand on Rasiel's cheek. His thumb caressed the fading mark, and his eyes softened. "Who gave you that bruise?"

At that question, Rasiel pulled away from the man's caress, his head dropping. "..."

"Don't ask stupid questions, trash," Xanxus growled to his lover, his hands clenching. "It's obvious."

"What?" Squalo looked up at the older man for a few seconds before looking back down at the twins. "_Anyone _could have done that."

Xanxus, a man who had been street-bound as a child with his mentally disturbed mother, was very familiar with beatings; he had to fight - whether it be with adults for the food he stole, or other kids who were just cruel. He knew, just from this kid's reaction, that it had been a parent who had left that bruise - scuffles were something only weaklings were afraid of, and it had only just started fading a few days ago, healing only because no one had hit the kid again.

Rasiel was still silent, looking at his brother. His body trembled slightly, his tiny hand reaching out to grip the tattered striped shirt Belphegor was wearing.

Xanxus, who knew what it was like to be rejected and abused, spoke to his lover - as much as he didn't want children, he had no choice right now, and he would rather take these two than any of the others; if they had been abused, it was likely they would eventually find themselves back in that vicious cycle. "Want them, trash?"

Squalo nodded. "I do."

"We want those two." The stronger male pointed at the twins, growling to the woman.

The brunet woman was hesitant for a few seconds before she replied in a timid tone, "...They're... a handful... Maybe it's better if you -"

"-We said we want them," Xanxus repeated. "We want those kids."

"..." Weak arms hugged the clipboard tight to the woman's chest before she nodded. "...Alright... Just come out the back with me and fill out the paperwork."

Neither man paid any more attention to the twins as they stood up and followed the worker back out of the room.

~~XX~~

It had been a quiet drive back home for the two adults - _had, _being the keyword. After filling out the paperwork, Rasiel had carried his sleeping brother out to the car, letting him rest again on his lap. The older twin had been silent during the drive, staring out of the window absentmindedly. But when Bel started to stir, and found himself being taken away from the orphanage, he threw a fit - and still was.

"I don't want to come home with you!" The tiny boy shouted, kicking the passenger seat in front of him, which Xanxus happened to be sitting in. "I hate you! I hate you both!"

"Brother, please..." Rasiel's frail arms were wrapped around his struggling brother, trying to calm the boy down. "It's okay, brother, it's okay."

"Stupid!" The younger twin kept shouting, much to both Xanxus' and Squalo's growing temper. "Stupid! You're both stupid, and I hate you!"

When Bel kicked Xanxus' chair once again, the scarred male snapped. Turning around in his seat, he reached out, gripping Belphegor's dirty hair. He pulled as hard as he could, bringing the younger towards him, before he roared, "That's enough of you, scum!"

Bel recoiled instantly, clinging to his brother's side. He buried his face in his twin's shoulder, starting to tremble. He jumped as he felt Rasiel's hand rest on his shoulder, but the brother he _hated _wasn't enough to soothe him - all he could remember was the shouting, the pain he had to endure back before he had been taken from his family.

Squalo, who had pulled Xanxus' hand from the boy they had just taken in, spoke in a low, dangerous tone, knowing that if he shouted, he would only scare the twins further. "Don't shout at them, you dumb shit; can't you see you just scared them both?"

"The piece of trash should learn to keep his mouth shut, and to stop kicking my fucking chair," Xanxus snarled back.

"He's a kid, and he's scared." Squalo kept his eyes focused on the road, knowing that this wouldn't be easy, but he had to try - for all of their sake's. "He just wants to stay in surroundings he feels comfortable in."

"You had better get me a fucking steak for this, shark trash." Xanxus crossed his arms over his chest, glaring out of the window as if everything they passed was the reason for his bad mood.

"There's a bottle of wine with your name on it, too." Squalo glanced in the rear-view mirror, seeing the two boys sitting on the backseat. Rasiel's arms were wrapped tightly around his brother, frowning, while Belphegor curled around him, shaking.

Squalo looked at the file sitting on Xanxus' lap that they had been given, recording all known information about the two boys. He knew that, before he even tried to work on Bel's temper, Xanxus would be the one needing work first - no matter what he did with the twins, it wouldn't make a difference if the older man kept shouting at them like that.


	2. Chapter 2

When Bel and Rasiel stepped into their new home, the older twin was quiet while Bel carried on.

"I don't like it here!" Bel whined. To Squalo, he sounded very tired, as if the boy was used to napping and had missed it or woken up too early. Was that why he had been sleeping when they arrived at the orphanage? "I hate it! It's stupid!"

Xanxus was quick to go upstairs, leaving Squalo alone to deal with the boys. He opened his mouth to reprimand the boy before a thought struck him; he knew the twins' names, but he couldn't tell them apart except for the clothing they wore.

Rasiel, as if sensing his new guardian's dilemma, spoke in a voice far too quiet for a shy kid - there had to be something more to the twins' behaviour; whatever had caused it should be in that file they had left in the car. "That's Bel... He likes striped clothing..."

"Belphegor," Squalo growled. He didn't want to act aggressive and make the kids fear him, but he knew he had to display the fact that _he _was the adult before Bel grew out of control. To his surprise, Bel froze. "Belphegor, this is _my _home, and you have to respect_ my _rules."

Bel was silent for a few seconds, staring at his feet, before he replied. "We don't have to listen to you."

Rasiel stayed where he was, his hands in his pockets. He kept his head ducked and out of the way, almost as if he was too scared to say anything.

"I'm the adult, Belphegor." Squalo breathed out through his nose, trying to keep his temper in check - it wouldn't do to lash out at a scared kid and make things worse. "What I say goes."

"I hate you!" Bel shouted, kicking the white wall he was standing next to. "I hate you!"

"Bel..." Rasiel was quiet as he reached out for his twin, only to have his hands slapped away as the younger turned on him. "Don't touch me! I hate you, too, Jill!"

Rasiel's mouth opened before it closed again, his head dropping once more. He flinched as he was shoved against the wall, but he didn't react - he merely let Bel come closer to him, knowing his brother didn't know any better.

"That's enough, Belphegor!" Squalo stomped forward and grabbed the aggressive kid. He struggled for a few seconds before he wrapped his arm around the tiny body, holding Bel close. He winced as the kid kicked him in the shin, but he knew he couldn't let go - he had to help the boy. "Stop it now, Belphegor."

"Let me go!" Bel, like his brother did before, dropped his head, but not in submission - sharp teeth dug into the calloused skin of Squalo's arm.

The man yelped and pulled his arm from the blond. He looked at the mark that had been left behind, growing red as blood oozed out of the broken skin.

Squalo could feel his temper hanging on the end of the string - one more outburst from Bel, and he knew he was going to snap. "Belphegor, I swear to God if you don't stop this, I'll -"

"You'll what?" Bel sneered. "Hurt me? I don't care; I'm used to it. You don't scare me."

The long-haired male sighed as he released his hold on Bel. He took a few steps back, watching the younger carefully for another sign of a tantrum. Bel just watched him back, not moving from where he stood.

"You need time-out," Squalo said after a while. "To cool down."

Bel didn't reply; he just stood there, glaring at the older male. He flinched and pulled away when Squalo started walking towards him, backing up against the wall.

Squalo stopped moving as he noticed how tense Bel was; it was as if he was bracing himself for a beating he knew was coming - so much for not being scared; he knew that had only been talk and nothing more.

Sighing, the man turned his attention to Rasiel, who was still laying on the floor. He reached out slowly, observing carefully in case the older twin reacted in the same manner as his brother.

"Do you want to come upstairs, Rasiel?" Squalo offered. "It's quiet up there."

The older blond flinched, just like Bel, but he wasn't aggressive; he allowed his guardian to pull him to his feet and brush his clothes down, as tense as he was.

It was Bel who was the problem child - that much was clear.

Turning to look over his shoulder, Squalo pointed towards the living room that branched off down the hallway on their left. "There's a couch and a TV in there. Sit down for a while, Belphegor; you need it."

Bel just put his nose in the air as he stomped in the opposite direction, heading towards one of the spare rooms. Squalo wasn't worried; there was nothing down there except for another TV.

"Bel doesn't like it when you call him by his full name..." Rasiel's voice shook as he told the older male that. "It scares him..."

"Well, do you like being called Rasiel?" Squalo sighed when the boy shook his head. "I'll call you Siel, then."

"Why not Jill?" the boy questioned. "Everyone else does."

"Because you're not a girl." Squalo reached out slowly before he placed his hand on top of blond locks. He patted gently, trying his hardest not to use any force that could be perceived as threatening.

Rasiel looked at the ground, his shoulders tensing again. "...Father always called us girls..."

_That explains the names, then..._ The silver-haired male's hands clenched at these words, anger surging through him - but he knew, no matter what, he couldn't direct those emotions at the twins. "Well, you're not."

The two were silent as they walked up the staircase and, when they passed by Xanxus' offce, the older man called out. "Missing the 'quiet' yet, trash?"

Squalo looked into the room, finding Xanxus sitting at his desk, his feet on it as he leant back in his chair with a bottle of wine. He would have loved to scream and shout at his lover, but he knew better than to do such a thing when Rasiel was with him.

Instead, the younger man settled for giving his lover the finger before moving on further down the second floor.

"Where are we going...?" Rasiel whispered. Squalo knew the other was scared - he must believe he wasn't safe here.

"To your bedroom." As he said this, the long-haired man pushed open one of the doors off to their right.

Rasiel looked in, surprised by what he saw; there was a room - a big room - with a _bed. _He and Bel had never _had _a bed, or even a room before; they'd always slept on bloodied rags, locked away in the closet.

There was a wardrobe resting by the window on the left. The light filtered in through drawn, blue curtains, letting light into the otherwise dark room. A desk rested on the other side of the bedroom, and a bookcase sat beside it.

"We weren't expecting to bring home two kids, so you two will have to share the room." Squalo didn't sound apologetic as he spoke, but he did feel slightly bad for not having seen this coming - he had a feeling they would each be happier in their own space.

"I don't mind." Rasiel frowned. "...Bel will..."

"He can sleep on the couch if he has a problem with it." Squalo rolled his eyes before muttering, "Ungrateful little... Anyway, the bathroom's just across the hall. Our bedroom is next door. Word of advice; if Xanxus is in his office, you should leave him be, okay?"

Rasiel nodded, looking around the corridor he was standing in. He had just opened his mouth to speak again before a loud crash from downstairs made him jump.

"The fuck was that?!" Squalo couldn't stop himself from shouting as he stomped down the hallway, about to strangle that little shit to death.

"Better not have broken the new TV..." Xanxus had just stormed out of the office, snarling to himself as he went to investigate.

Upon arrival downstairs, the two adults could hear a maniacal laughter coming from the spare room. They tore down the corridor and kicked the door open, their eyes setting on the sight of their brand-new plasma TV sitting in ruins on the hardwood floor.

Bel stood next to the mess, laughing about it.

"You fucking little -" Xanxus was about to murder the kid before Squalo stepped in front of him, pushing the dark-haired male back.

"Let me handle this." Squalo then turned to the blond, his dark eyes seething with barely-contained anger. "Bel, break one more possession of ours, and I'll fucking punish you. Have you got that?"

Bel just growled at the two males before he ran past them and out of the spare room.

Squalo and Xanxus looked at each other, the older man speaking first.

"You're the one who wanted to do this shit," Xanxus snarled. "You wanted it, _you _handle it."

"A bit of help would be nice, you fucking asshole." Squalo moved over to the broken TV set. He could see that it had been pushed off the stand, shattering into pieces as it hit the hard floor.

"You're the one who told me to stay out of it." The older male was quick to leave the room, heading straight back up to his office.

Squalo shook his head as he unplugged the TV from the power socket. _Maybe this wasn't such a great idea... I'm not sure I can handle __Bel__... __Rasiel__, perhaps, but not __Bel__... _

Squalo hated the idea of separating the twins; he most certainly didn't want to take one back and keep the other like they were some sort of deal at a store, but how could he handle a damaged kid like Bel when he himself could barely control his anger? As hard as it was, he had hardly kept his anger in and remained calm and patient, and it had only been less than an hour since he had had them.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Squalo knew he couldn't think too much on it - like Bel, he needed time to calm down; thinking about such stressful things wouldn't do any of them good.

~~That night~~

At nine o'clock sharp, Squalo had set out to put the twins to bed. He found Rasiel in the room already, the blanket from the bed taken off and made into a make-shift bed on the floor. It appeared the older twin was already asleep so, as carefully as he could be, Squalo lifted him off the floor and carried him over to the bed. He placed the boy down on the mattress before he returned for the blanket, tucking Rasiel in.

Squalo wasn't sure where to find Bel, but after searching the house for a few minutes, he found the boy hiding in one of the spare bedrooms upstairs - the lump beneath the blankets of one of the unused beds was obvious enough.

The long-haired male was almost tempted to let him sleep there, but he knew that would be unhelpful in the long run; Bel would only gain a sense of entitlement to do whatever he wished, whereas if he was brought back into his own room, he should eventually learn that things were okay and he was safe there.

Bel mumbled something when he was picked up, but he didn't wake - not even as he was carried out of the room and down into the hall.

_These kids must be as exhausted as they look... _Squalo sighed as he pulled back the blankets for the twins' bed, laying Bel next to Rasiel. _No wonder __Bel__was being such a handful... I hope he's better behaved tomorrow... _

As Squalo left the room, he closed the door, leaving it open just a crack. He stifled a yawn, deciding that the kids wouldn't be the only ones sleeping.

After saying goodnight to Xanxus and changing into his pyjamas, Squalo crawled into bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. His dreams were about the twins - Bel in particular. He didn't remember much of said dreams when he woke the next morning, but he was quickly told by Xanxus he had woken the older male up through the night whimpering.

Was it that Squalo truly wanted to help those kids, no matter how much of a handful they were? It had to be - Squalo hadn't cared for many people before, but already he wanted to keep the twins; the thought of having to give them back made him feel sick.


	3. Chapter 3

When Xanxus woke to Squalo shaking him like most mornings, he just growled and hid his head under his pillow, hoping the other would get the hint and leave him the hell alone.

"Fucking hell, Xanxus, get your ass up!" Squalo shouted, trying to shove the older man out of the bed. "It's time for breakfast!"

"Unless you want to get a wine glass thrown at you, I suggest you piss off right now, trash!" Xanxus roared back, pulling the blankets up further.

"Why do you always have to be such a lazy asshole?" Squalo shook his head as he let Xanxus be, deciding he'd try again soon - their morning rituals were always full of yelling and screaming, but he loved Xanxus more than anything else so he always let it slide.

The next room the silver-haired man stopped at was the one they had given to the twins. Squalo took a deep breath to calm himself as he knocked on the door, hearing small mutters and the squeaking of the mattress.

Squalo pushed the door open, glancing at the two twins sitting on the bed. Bel's head was ducked, his shoulders shaking as Rasiel held him close. They were both frowning, almost as if they were expecting to be yelled at.

"What's wrong?" Squalo blinked. He wasn't _that _scary, was he?

Rasiel glanced down at the bed, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. "...Um..."

The long-haired male understood; they had probably thought they were in trouble for having slept in a bed. A fucking _bed. _How sick could someone be to make two little boys think they can't use a fucking _bed. _

"That's your bed." Squalo shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal - it _wasn't! _"I didn't want you sleeping on the floor, Rasiel - that's not right. And, Bel, you have your own bed to sleep in."

Bel didn't reply; he merely tucked his shoulders in tighter like he was trying to appear smaller.

"...We..." Rasiel cut himself off before he shook his head, deciding what he wanted to say wasn't important enough - he was used to being ignored, so what was the point?

Squalo ignored this, still trying to get used to handling such damaged kids. "Well, breakfast is on the table. You should come down before it gets cold."

Rasiel just nodded. He hesitantly released Bel, not sure if he wanted to stand or not. When he finally did, it took a few more seconds before he gathered up courage to take a few steps towards Squalo before he stopped again, feeling naked without Bel by his side.

Bel just let himself fall onto the bed, curling up into a ball. Squalo sighed and approached him, wishing he had better parenting skills. "Bel, we don't - fuck!"

Squalo had reached out to touch Bel, but the second his hand had made contact with the boy's shoulder, he quickly pulled away as the younger screamed loudly and a flash of silver raced towards his hand.

The man's eyes were wide as he stared down at the younger twin, not sure where Bel had gotten that knife from - it had only just missed him when the boy aimed it at his hand.

Rasiel just stood there, trembling, certain he was about to watch his brother get another beating - but to his surprise, Squalo just reached out slowly, careful not to make any sudden moves.

"Put the knife down, Bel..." Squalo wasn't used to being careful around a _kid _of all people, and he knew he couldn't outright force it from the boy's hands lest someone accidentally get hurt and make him even more afraid than he already was. "It's okay. Just put it down."

Bel's shaking hand tightened its grip on the knife, almost as if he were ready to be jumped. "..."

Squalo was wary as his hand got closer to Bel's before it eventually wrapped around the warm skin, holding it tenderly. Bel just whimpered and tried to pull away from the contact, but Squalo didn't let him; he held on firmly, but not tight enough to hurt the younger.

"Drop the knife, Bel." Squalo could feel his patience running dry, but this was a delicate situation; it wasn't just _Bel_in danger of getting hurt, _he _was, too. "No one's going to hurt you."

It took a few more seconds before Bel let go of the knife, watching it with obscured eyes as the blade fell to the hard floorboards beneath them.

Squalo

let out a breath as he reached down, picking the knife up. He could see that the twins' shaking had grown worse once he had acquired the blade, and he realised that they were probably expecting it to be used on them.

The silver-haired male slipped the knife into his pocket, hoping it wouldn't cut him. He had learnt his lesson about touching Bel, but he knew he had to get the boy downstairs and feed him.

"Siel?"

Rasiel glanced up from the ground as he was adressed by the man. He whispered in a timid, wavering voice, "Y-yes...?"

"Can you get your brother downstairs for breakfast?"Squalo turned around to leave the room, hoping Rasiel could do something he couldn't.

Rasiel nodded. "I-I'll try..."

Squalo nodded as he walked out of the door, leaving the twins to be by themselves. He found it strange that - though Bel seemed to hate everyone around him - Rasiel was always the first person he went to when he was scared, seeking comfort.

But then again, he was only a young boy...

Squalo stopped by his own bedroom again, kicking the door open as he shouted at his lover still laying in the bed. "Get the fuck up!"

Xanxus threw the pillow next to him at the man in the doorway, snarling something under his breath. The older male climbed out of the bed, shooting a filthy look at Squalo as he did so.

"So fucking demanding..." Xanxus picked up the jeans he had tossed on the ground the previous night, slipping them on. "Can't even fucking sleep in without you on my back..."

"Just get your ass downstairs before I drag you down..." Squalo left, heading back downstairs to man the kitchen as he waited for the others to get their breakfast.

Xanxus came down after a few minutes, looking a bit more alert as he took his seat at the head of the table. He grunted as a bowl of porridge was placed before him, grabbing the spoon from the oatmeal and lifting it to his mouth.

"This shit had better be worth it..."

Squalo rolled his eyes as he filled the twins' bowls up next. Just as he placed them down on one side of the table, the two boys stumbled in, both looking very wary of their surroundings. They were tense and kept their head down most of the time, lifting it only to look around them.

"Your breakfast is there." Squalo pointed out the two bowls. "You can have whichever one you want."

Rasiel was the first to approach the table, his brother hiding behind him and gripping the back of Rasiel's white button-up shirt. Bel only sat when the older twin did, but he made no move to touch the food; he instead stared at his lap, trembling.

The older blond ate slowly - _very _slowly - hesitating between picking the spoon up and bringing it to his mouth. He made no complaint about the food, but he seemed unsure as to whether or not he was supposed to be eating it.

Squalo and Xanxus didn't comment, knowing it was probably better to stay silent than to open their mouths and possibly scare him off.

Before Bel had so much as looked at his food, the two adults had long-since finished eating. Xanxus sat, reading the paper, while Squalo played around with his phone.

It was Rasiel who said something to Bel about not eating. "Brother, you need to eat..." The boy was quiet, as if he was scared speaking to his own twin.

"Not hungry..." Bel pulled away when his sibling reached out for him, hissing. "Don't touch me, Jill!"

"But you have to eat something..." Rasiel whispered, the hurt obvious in his tone.

Squalo, who was listening to the boys, tapped on the hardwood table to gather their attention. He spoke to Rasiel, his eyes soft. "How long has it been since he's eaten?"

"I don't know..." the boy replied. "...N-not since... We were taken..."

"Fuck, that's a long time." Squalo stood up, moving to Bel's side. "No wonder he's worked up like he is."

Bel pulled away when Squalo reached past him, grabbing the bowl of porridge and taking it over to the counter behind them. The man scooped most of the food back into the pot, bringing the bowl back with just a little bit left in it.

"Eat this, Bel." Squalo handed the spoon to the younger, hoping he would eat - if it had really been as long as Rasiel had said since he'd last eaten, Bel could be on the brink of death. "Eat it slowly."

The spoon the man was giving to him had porridge sitting in it, and Bel couldn't help but feel his already-nauseous stomach churn at the sight. He leant over the side of the chair, expelling nothing but bile as he threw up.

Squalo could see how Bel started swaying with this action, and he reached out to steady him, not wanting the boy to fall off the chair. Bel continued to vomit as he pushed at Squalo, trying to get the older male away from him.

The long-haired male only backed away once Bel stopped throwing up. He watched carefully for any sign of the boy about to start again, but all thoughts of that fled his mind was Bel swayed heavily to his right and fell to the ground.

"Shit!" Squalo pulled the chair away as he moved to Bel's side. He noticed the other had stopped moving, sprawled out on the ground he had fallen to. He moved two fingers to the blond's neck, barely feeling a pulse.

"What happened?" Xanxus was as calm as ever, resting the newspaper on the table to look at Rasiel.

"Xanxus, call Shamal - _now!_" The worry in Squalo's voice drove Xanxus to raise an eyebrow as he pulled his phone from his pocket, searching through his contacts. He watched as his lover stood up from where he had been kneeling, holding Bel tightly in his arms. The boy wasn't moving, laying limp.

Rasiel sobbed silently as he hugged himself, not knowing what to think - he was scared, and he just wanted somewhere to hide. He watched as Squalo moved out of the kitchen. He got up from his chair and ran after them, knowing that - as Bel's older brother - he had to do whatever he could to protect him.

Squalo glanced at Rasiel as the boy stopped next to him. He laid Bel out on the couch, rolling him to his side in case he needed to throw up again. "Can you get the blanket from your bed, Siel?"

Rasiel nodded, doing as he was told. Now that Bel wasn't awake to fight him, Squalo took the opportunity to slide Bel's shirt up enough to reveal his frail body, trying to judge how long it had been since the boy had eaten. He was horrified to find that Bel was so skinny, his stomach sunk in, his hips jutted out, and each and every one of his ribs could be seen.

"Fuck..."

Squalo slid the boy's shirt back down, hoping it wasn't too late - he had just gotten Bel, but he couldn't believe the orphanage had been so negligent as to not even notice Bel hadn't been eating for however long.

When Rasiel returned with the blanket a few minutes later, the man tucked Bel in, running a hand through blond hair. Xanxus stepped into the room, glancing at the scene before him.

"Shamal said he's on his way." Xanxus shrugged. "What happened?"

"He's been starving himself, you unobservant prick!" Squalo snapped, startling Rasiel. "He passed out - he's malnourished, and I don't know what to do."

"Not like you can do anything but sit there and wait for the doctor." Xanxus wasn't _too _bothered by the situation, but he did feel some concern for Bel's well-being - he wasn't as heartless as to just let a little boy die like this. "Just sit with him and make sure he doesn't choke on his tongue."

"That's seizures, fuckhead." Squalo rolled his eyes before he turned back to Rasiel. "Has Bel always been so aggressive and difficult?"

The older twin shook his head. "No... He told me a few days ago he was really tired, and then he started getting really grumpy and mean..."

"Yeah, he hasn't been eating - no wonder he's acted out the way he has." Squalo sighed, wishing their personal doctor would hurry up and get here.

**XX**

When Bel's eyes opened a few hours later, he noticed he was in the living room. Someone had laid him down on the couch and wrapped a blanket around him, something that had never happened before. Rasiel was sitting on the other end of the couch, watching the wide-screen TV mounted to the wall across from them. The volume was down low as to not disturb him, leading Bel to wonder what had woken him in the first place.

_It hurts... _Bel moaned and curled in on himself as his stomach churned, begging for food.

Rasiel looked at his twin when he heard the younger. He blinked before he reached out for the coffee table resting between the couch and the entertainment system. He grabbed a small plastic cup that was obviously waiting for Bel to wake up, and offered it to his twin.

"Doctor Shamal said you should eat this..." Rasiel looked down as he held the cup out, waiting for his brother to take it.

Bel moaned again before he accepted the cup, looking at it. It was sealed, but Bel's blurry vision couldn't make out the words on it. "What is it...?"

"Yoghurt. Squalo is making lunch now and says you should eat little stuff for now." Rasiel picked the spoon up next, giving it to Bel. "He said there's milk and juice for you as well if you don't want to drink water."

Bel pulled the seal from the yoghurt cup, looking at it curiously. He had never had yoghurt before, but he was so hungry it _hurt. _He felt safe now that the adults were nowhere in sight, and he dipped the spoon into the dairy snack slowly.

Rasiel turned his attention back to the TV when he saw Bel begin to eat. He listened to the soft scraping of metal against plastic before Bel handed back the empty cup.

The younger twin closed his eyes, curling back into his blanket as he felt overwhelming exhaustion he couldn't fight anymore take over him.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I don't really like how this chapter has turned out. I think it's because it's a difficult chapter to write and on top of that, I haven't been sleeping properly for the past week. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. **

Two weeks had passed since Squalo had found out Bel hadn't been eating. In those two weeks, he had also discovered that the reason the blond had been starving himself wasn't just because he was too scared of the other people around him to eat, but because - as a child having lived in an abusive home - he was afraid of being beaten if the adults saw him with food - something that, according to Rasiel, had happened frequently.

Squalo combatted this frequently by giving Rasiel food when Bel wasn't around, telling the older twin to give it to his brother when they were alone. Meals were still an on-going issue.

But now that Bel was eating again and his exhaustion had lifted, he wasn't as difficult as he had first been; he still liked being by himself, and he distanced himself from the three he lived with, but he was no longer destroying property - even if he still threw temper tantrums in an effort to get 'bad touch'. After talking to someone specialised in children with abusive and traumatising backgrounds, it seemed that, as much as Bel feared touch, he sought nurture through aggression. The silver-haired male understood that Bel was still a child and physical contact was a necessary part of his mental and emotional growth, so he usually went out of his way to pat Bel on the head or back, trying to show him there was such a thing as gentleness.

Tonight, now that the twins were in bed, fast asleep, Squalo was pacing around his bedroom, muttering to himself. Xanxus laid on the king-size bed with his hands behind his head, watching his lover move back and forth.

"The fuck are you doing?" Xanxus questioned, five minutes after the younger male had started.

"Thinking." Squalo didn't stop pacing.

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes. "Get the fuck in bed."

Squalo shook his head. His eyes fell on the folder they had received from the orphanage, sitting on the desk waiting to be opened - with Bel refusing to eat and trying to get him back on the right path, the two males hadn't found the time or the strength to open it and read up on their backgrounds.

"Well, what _are _you thinking about?" Xanxus made no move to get close to his lover as Squalo finally sat on the bed, having brought the folder with him.

"School." Squalo opened the folder, picking up the first page. His eyes scanned the bold headings, noticing that this one was individual details about the twins', such as their legal names and birth-dates. "They have to go to school."

"Why would you stress so much on that?" Xanxus _did _love Squalo, but he wasn't the empathetic type - he wouldn't show his affection readily or display anything that could be taken as weakness, which was why he always seemed so cold to his partner.

"Because obviously they need an education and other kids to be with, dumbass. I just don't know how they'll handle it."

"Why not worry about that when it happens?" Xanxus rolled onto his side, resting on top of the blankets. His back was to Squalo as he closed his eyes, sighing. "You owe me a steak for making me put up with this shit."

Squalo ignored the older male, memorising the important details about the twins. He then slipped that page to the back once he was done with it, noticing that what he was now looking at contained information about the boys' backgrounds.

_Investigation was done after the removal of the children, discovering there had been on-going physical and sexual abuse, neglect of __childrens__' needs, and possible child pornography revolving around the removed children. The latter has yet to be confirmed. _

Squalo felt sick as he read the detailed description of each investigation, finding it no surprise that the twins behaved the way they did - fearful and, in Bel's case, angry.

"Xanxus."

Xanxus grunted, half-asleep.

"You should read this tomorrow." Squalo slipped everything back into the folder, putting it onto the bedside drawer. "It's important."

The dark-haired male just grunted again, barely taking in what his partner was saying.

Squalo rolled onto his side as well, their backs facing each other. Neither of them worried about the blankets and, soon enough, they were both fast asleep.

**~~The next morning~~**

After breakfast, and once the twins had had a shower and gotten dressed, Squalo entered their room.

"Boys, we're going to go into town. Put some shoes on." Squalo, though he still had to work on his temper, was generally calm when he spoke to the kids, not wanting to upset them.

Rasiel put down the dinosaur figurines he had been playing with to do as he was told. Bel, however, continued fighting his own with each other, ignoring Squalo's orders.

"Bel..." Squalo stepped further into the room, knowing he had to be patient and avoid touching the boy - he had had his suspicions about why the younger twin feared touch, and the files he had been given confirmed it. "Bel, I know you heard me. Put the dinosaurs down and put shoes on."

Bel tensed as the man came closer to him. He dropped the toys he had been playing with, getting up and moving to the closet where their shoes were. He hesitantly slipped on white runners, standing by the closet with his head down, a silent gesture that he was ready to leave.

"Come on, guys." Squalo patted Rasiel's head as the boy gripped his sleeve, knowing that, unlike Bel, Rasiel liked being close to people.

The twins were quiet like usual as they followed Squalo downstairs and out of the house. They passively climbed into the backseat and allowed Squalo to double-check that their seat-belts were fastened properly.

When Squalo got into the driver's seat and started the car, Rasiel spoke.

"Where are we going...?" The older twin was quiet as he spoke, still getting used to Squalo and Xanxus.

"To find a school for you." Squalo reversed the car out of the driveway, driving to the right of his neighbourhood.

"School?" Rasiel shifted uncomfortably. "...We've never gone to school..."

"We'll find one that you like, okay?" Squalo, who was usually a dangerous driver with road-raging tendencies, stopped at the end of his street and indicated as he waited to pull out into heavier traffic - as long as the twins were in the car with him, he was sensible, not wanting to involve them in an accident. "It will be good for you. You'll make some friends, I'm sure of it."

"We never... had friends before..." The older twin sighed at these words. He felt Bel press closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around the slightly smaller twin.

Squalo glanced in the rear-view mirror, noticing the way Bel curled into the older twin. It bothered him that the boy didn't trust anyone else to touch him, but he understood - Rasiel was probably the only comfort he had ever experienced.

"Well, this might be a chance for you to have some." Squalo merged into traffic, heading towards the school with the highest reputation, hoping Bel and Rasiel would like it.

**XX**

After arriving at the school Squalo had in mind, the man had spoken to the receptionist and explained his situation, and was now walking into the principal's office, hoping that the twins would be okay with this and behave.

"Hello." The man sitting at the desk was tall, his black hair short. He wore a suit and a tie, and glasses sat on the edge of his nose. His office was tidy, a few filing drawers scattered here and there. A computer sat on his desk, some papers spread out before him. "Principal Fuse. My assistant told me you're interested in enrolling your children?"

Squalo nodded, moving to sit at the chairs resting on the other side of the desk. He looked down as Rasiel tugged on his shirt, finding tiny arms raising into the air, a silent request to be picked up.

"You're lucky you're cute..." Squalo muttered as he lifted Rasiel onto his lap, letting the boy play with his silver tresses. Bel took the seat next to them, looking anywhere but at the two adults.

"What beautiful children." The dark-haired man beamed at Bel and Rasiel in a friendly manner. "Your wife must be very pretty."

"They're adopted." Squalo shrugged, surprised that the taller male hadn't pegged him as gay already - he seemed to get it everywhere else he went.

"Oh, of course." Fuse's smile never faltered. "Is there anything you feel we should know? Usually when it comes to adopted children, we try and cater for any special needs that may have arisen from an earlier age."

Squalo shrugged again, doing his best to hold in his temper; he wasn't much of a social person, preferring to stay home and fight with Xanxus. He pointed down at Rasiel, his dark eyes bored. "This one is fine; he's usually just very anxious about people. The other one doesn't eat, or get along very well with other people."

"Well, how about we take a tour of the school and see what they think?" Fuse offered. "If they decide they like it, we can talk more on what we can do for them."

The silver-haired male nodded. He stood up, holding Rasiel close to him. He looked down at Bel, his usually-hard eyes soft. "Do you want to be picked up, too, Bel?"

Bel shook his head, standing up from the chair. He waited until Squalo had left the office, keeping distance between them as he followed the two adults. They eventually lead him out of the building and to the side of the school.

The surrounding area was green, with plenty of trees surrounding it. There was a sandpit, a cement play area with a sunshade above it, and something Bel only knew how to describe as lots of big metal bars with a slide attached to it.

"This is the playground."

Bel looked up when Fuse spoke again. He noticed that the man was pointing towards what he had just been looking at.

_A playground...? _Bel blinked. _...Those bars look heavy, like the ones Mother hit Jill with... How can you _play _with those...? _

"Squalo...?"

Squalo looked down at Rasiel, noticing the boy was frowning deeply. "What's wrong?"

"...I don't like that..." The older twin's lip trembled as he pointed to the playground. "It... It's scary..."

"You don't have to go near it if you don't want to." Squalo tightened his hold on Rasiel, not entirely sure of why a playground was scaring the boy.

"We'll leave and take a tour of the rest of the school," Fuse offered, not wanting the twins to become upset.

The rest of the tour went easily, neither of the twins getting upset after that. They were quiet as they followed Squalo back into Fuse's office, sitting again in the positions they had been before they left.

"Well, boys, what did you think?" Fuse smiled at the twins as he waited for an answer.

Bel just looked away, leaving Rasiel to speak. "...We don't... like the playground..."

"Well, that's okay. Apart from the playground, was the school to your liking?"

Rasiel nodded, moving closer to Squalo. "Yes..."

Fuse smiled at the boy before he turned his attention back to Squalo. "Is there anything you have in mind you think may be beneficial to their circumstances?"

"Well, if you can make sure they're kept together, that would be great." Squalo sighed before shrugging. "I really don't know."

"I could try and arrange for another student to stay with them," the principal offered. "An older student. Female?"

Squalo looked down at the boy in his lap. "How does that sound?"

Rasiel licked his lips before he spoke, in a quiet, uncertain voice. "...Are they... nice...?"

"Well, the student I have in mind is a bit of a loner herself, actually." Fuse smiled. "But the times I've spoken to her, she seems nice enough. I'll call her in and you can see if you like her first."

Bel didn't acknowledge this conversation; he was picking at the end of his new striped shirt, one that Squalo had bought for him just a few days after the adoption. Rasiel, too, wore new clothing - their old ones had been so tattered, they had to be thrown out.

Squalo talked to the principal for a while after the man had called for a student over the PA. They weren't entirely sure of how long it would take for her to arrive, so the silver-haired male made small talk as they waited.

Rasiel was resting against Squalo's chest, not sure if he was going to like this or not - the other kids in the orphanage they had been taken to were cruel to them, teasing them for things out of their control. The 'student' wouldn't be like that, would they...?

"This must be her now." Fuse called out as he heard a small knocking on his office door. "Come in!"

Squalo turned to the door as it opened, revealing a girl wearing the standard female version of the school uniform. A black skirt stopped mid-thigh while a white dress-shirt was tucked into the skirt. Long, black stockings stopped just below her knee, and the purple blazer she wore finished her uniform. Her long indigo hair fell below her chin, but the top of her face was hidden behind a large hood, revealing only her mouth.

"Hello, Viper." Fuse gestured for the girl to come in closer. "Squalo-san, this is Viper, though she prefers to go by the name of Mammon. She's twelve, if that will make your boys feel better."

Squalo shrugged, knowing this wasn't up to him - it was up to the boys.

"Viper, these two boys here might be joining our students," the man started. "They're a bit shy, so would you mind taking care of them so they're not alone?"

"Am I getting paid for it?" The girl was quiet as she spoke, as if she wasn't all that used to socialising herself.

Squalo grumbled as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He opened it, his hand going to grab money, before he stopped and looked down at the twins.

"Do you like her?" The long-haired man asked, only to receive a nod from Rasiel. Bel was staring at Mammon, but he didn't seem to be taking much notice of anything else around him. "Bel?"

Bel turned to look at Squalo, frowning. "What...?" The younger twin was even quieter than Rasiel when he spoke, and it made their adoptive parent wonder which twin had suffered more abuse.

"I asked if you like her." Squalo frowned.

"Oh... Yes..." Bel looked away, ignoring all else that was said to him. Squalo had a feeling Bel was lying and was uncertain about the girl, considering he hadn't warmed up to anyone else yet - the man wasn't even sure if he liked his own _brother_.

Squalo withdrew fifty dollars from his wallet, handing it to the girl. "You'd better take care of them..."

"Pay me weekly and I will." With that said, Mammon slipped the bill into the pocket on her skirt, leaving the room.

Squalo grumbled under his breath as he slipped his wallet back into its pocket. Rasiel, who was sitting so close to him, could make out something about 'monthly payments instead'.

"I'm going to take that as the sign you wish to enroll them?" Fuse smiled at Squalo, seemingly oblivious to the other's bad temper.

Squalo just sighed as he nodded, hating to part with his hard-earned money.

"Squalo...?"

The silver-haired man looked down at Rasiel, forcing a smile onto his face for the boy. "Hm?"

"...Can..." Rasiel looked away as he moved a hand to his tummy. "...I'm hungry..."

Squalo held the boy tighter, knowing that Rasiel had one hell of an appetite. "We'll get lunch after we leave here."

Rasiel nodded, watching as Fuse slipped a few sheets of paper over to Squalo, telling him to sign it. He could see Bel had gone back to staring at the door, as if he was waiting for the girl to come back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Woo! I fixed the issue where fanfiction was messing up my format and putting words together and cutting sentences into new paragraphs! *Happy dance* **

When Squalo took the twins to school for their first day, he almost didn't want to leave them, seeing how frightened they were. The man took them straight to the principal's office, wondering if Mammon was already at school or not. The twins clung to the leg of his pants as they followed behind closely - Squalo had a feeling the only reason Bel was so close to him was because he would rather his guardian over the hordes of strangers that kept brushing past him.

To the long-haired man's immense relief, Mammon was waiting for them outside of the principal's office. The girl didn't say anything as she started walking towards them, closing the distance between them. Her eyes were hidden behind her hood, and her mouth didn't convey any emotions.

"I'll take them to their classroom first." Mammon put her hand on Bel's shoulder, the twin closest to her. Squalo was surprised when the boy merely flinched, but didn't recoil from her touch.

"Go on, Siel." Squalo gently pushed Rasiel towards the female student, feeling the way his grip only tightened at the idea of having to leave his guardian.

Rasiel lifted his head, looking up at Squalo. "I... I want to come home with you..."

The silver-haired male sighed. He handed over the two school bags he had carried for the twins to Mammon, leaning down to look into Rasiel's face. His strong hands gripped fragile shoulders, his voice gruff as he tried to explain things to the boy.

"Siel, I have to go to work." Squalo didn't move as tiny arms wrapped around his neck, remaining where he was. "That's why you have to go to school, so people can take care of you."

"I like _you _looking after me, though..." Rasiel pouted as he pulled his arms back to his body. "I... I feel safe with you..."

"If anyone here is mean to you, punch them in the face, okay?" The strong male knew it wasn't the best of ideas to teach an abused child violence, but he really only wanted the kids to feel safe, especially if he couldn't be there with them. "And if an adult tries to tell you off for it, you tell them I told you to do it and to talk to me."

Rasiel nodded, hesitantly stepping away from his guardian and over to Mammon. The girl seemed patient as she waited for the twins to come to her side. Rasiel instinctively reached out to grab Mammon's hand, holding it tightly. Bel, as usual, was distant, just watching the female warily.

"Bel will probably want to keep to himself," Squalo said as he stood up straight. He put his hand out, ruffling the boys' blond hair. "He's more comfortable that way."

Mammon nodded, understanding what Squalo was saying. "I'll look after them, but I expect weekly payments for babysitting them."

"Monthly." Squalo narrowed his eyes - he wasn't greedy with his money or anything of the sort, but that could be money spent on things the twins would enjoy and not babysitting.

"Double the rate." The girl sure did like money, Squalo thought.

"Fine!" Squalo snapped. "One-fifty each month. Happy?"

"Not really." Mammon just shrugged, but she knew the man wasn't going to change his mind. "It'll have to do - for now."

The silver-haired male snorted before he leant down, giving Rasiel a brief one-armed hug. "I'll be back later. Meet me out the front, okay?"

Rasiel nodded, wrapping his own arms around Squalo's leg in farewell. He watched as Bel refused any and all contact, ignoring their guardian when Squalo said goodbye.

Rasiel watched as Squalo left the school, his obscured eyes moving over to Mammon. He offered a shy smile before he looked down, tensing his body - he sincerely hoped the girl wasn't anything like his mother, or else he didn't want to come back here.

"How old are you?" Mammon started walking, looking over her shoulder to make sure the kids followed.

"Eight..." Rasiel blinked up at the female student, feeling Bel's hand grab his. "I'm Rasiel, and this Belphegor..."

"I'm going to call you Siel and the other one Bel." Mammon didn't show any emotion, but Rasiel recognised a warmth in her voice he had only ever heard in Squalo's - did that mean she was a good person like Squalo was...?

"S-squalo calls us that..." Rasiel smiled shyly again, slowly feeling himself relax at the thought of his guardian.

"That's nice." Mammon stopped by a room off on their left. She pointed at the door, shrugging. "This will be your classroom. The principal organised for me to stay with you in your classes - I picked up work from my own teacher to do already."

"Can we go in...?" Rasiel didn't like standing out here with so many people walking past them - any one of those people could just jump out at him and hurt him or Bel...

"Not until the teacher comes and lets us in." Mammon glanced at her wristwatch. "Give it another minute and the bell will ring."

Rasiel giggled, finding it funny that Bel's nickname was shared by something in the school. Speaking of Bel...

"Brother, are you okay?" Rasiel worried about Bel and how the younger would cope; the smaller twin had his back against the wall, looking at his feet as his body trembled.

Mammon knew something was wrong with the boy, so she instinctively reached out, wrapping an arm around Bel. To Rasiel's surprise, his brother didn't pull away - Belphegor instead moved closer to her, letting tears flow down his cheeks.

"Brother...?" Rasiel hated to see Bel like this, but he understood - out of the two, Bel was the one to hide his emotions and pretend he was fine when he wasn't; the boy must have ran out of strength for the day.

"It's okay..." Mammon's voice was soft as she whispered to her charge. She stroked the boy's back, not entirely sure of what she was doing, but knowing she had to do _something. _"It's okay, Bel. What's wrong?"

"I want to go home..." Bel whispered, burying his face in Mammon's stomach. "I don't like it here..."

"I know... I don't like it here either. How about we sit by ourselves today? We'll find somewhere quiet, and during class I'll ask for the teacher to leave you be. Okay?"

Bel nodded, reaching up to rub at his wet eyes. He flinched when Rasiel came closer to him, but soon relaxed when his twin patted his shoulder. He wanted to go back to Squalo's house and curl up in their bed, but he was too scared to leave Mammon, the girl being the only one apart from Rasiel he knew here.

The boy was tired, exhausted from lack of sleep, and couldn't control his emotions any longer; he just cried harder as he hugged Mammon back, feeling as if he could trust the girl to not hurt him.

"It's okay..." Mammon - true to her word - stayed with the twins, making sure no one bothered them and that they could spend time by themselves.

Soon enough, she found herself with two sleeping twins resting their heads on her lap during lunch as they sat in the library, the girl having read a story to them.


	6. Chapter 6

When Squalo picked the twins up from school that afternoon, he was surprised to find that Rasiel was donning a smile while Bel seemed a tad more placid than usual.

"Did you have a good day?" Squalo asked as he helped the twins into the back seat, double-checking their seatbelts as he had grown accustomed to.

Rasiel's smile widened as he nodded, clutching his schoolbag close to him. "Mammon is really nice, Squalo..."

"That's good to hear." The loud male ruffled the older twin's hair before he turned his attention to Bel. "What about you, Bel? Did you have a good day at school?"

Bel hesitated before he nodded, looking uncomfortable. "...I... I like Mammon, too..." the boy said quietly. "...She... read us books..."

Squalo knew it was a sad world they lived in when a set of twins found more comfort in someone they had just met than they had ever known in the chapters of their lives that involved their parents. He also knew that there really wasn't much he could do to remedy that except to be the best guardian he could.

"Well, let's go home now." Squalo closed the car door before he got back in the driver's seat. He did a head-check before he pulled away from the curb, knowing that it was very busy with all the parents here to pick up their kids.

It was silent in the car for a while with the exception of the radio playing. Squalo was focusing on his driving while the twins sat in their seats, watching the world go past them through the windows. It was the man's phone beeping with a text that eventually broke the silence.

Squalo cursed before he grabbed the phone, raising it so that he could read the text as well as control the car at the same time. His sharp eyes scanned the message before he started replying to it, all the while keeping his eyes off the road.

It took glancing instinctively into the rear-view mirror did Squalo remember that he had two little boys in the car with him.

"Fucking shit piece of fucking..." Squalo indicated as he pulled the car over again, muttering under his breath.

"Squalo...?" Rasiel shifted in his seat, trying to get his guardian's attention. He fidgeted as dark eyes fixed on him in the mirror, looking at his lap. "...Can we have some lunch...?"

The man looked back down at his phone, his fingers tapping away at the touch-screen. "Did you eat the lunch I packed for you?"

"I did, yes..." Rasiel whispered. "...B-bel said... he wasn't hungry..."

Squalo was silent for a minute more after sending a text. He replied to the older twin once he read the message he had gotten back, moving the car back into traffic. "Well, lucky for you we're going to go into town instead of home now."

Rasiel blinked, tilting his head. "How come?"

"My friend wanted me to come shopping with him." Squalo shrugged. "I guess it won't hurt to introduce you guys to him."

Rasiel tensed, turning to the side. "...I..."

"He's nice." The silver-haired male knew what was bothering Rasiel. "He loves kids. Really, _really _loves kids. You'll like him."

"...Nice like Mammon...?"

"Yes. Nice like Mammon."

Rasiel smiled shyly at the confirmation before he turned to look back out of the window. Bel hadn't taken any notice of the conversation, lost inside his own mind. In fact, the only thing to bring him back to reality was the all-too-familiar sensation of losing control of his bladder.

The younger twin looked at his lap when he felt his pants become wet, and he couldn't stop himself from tearing up – he knew Squalo was going to hurt him for making a mess; his parents had only done that too often.

"Bel?" Squalo glanced into the rear-view mirror as he heard Bel burst into tears. He pulled the car over and got out, moving immediately to the youngest male's side of the car in concern. "Bel, what happened?"

The younger twin pulled away from the man as Squalo tried to touch him, only crying harder. He screamed in gibberish the more his guardian tried to grab him, until eventually Squalo had pulled him into a tight hug, telling him it was okay.

"It was just an accident," Squalo soothed, though he couldn't say he was happy that his car was going to smell like piss. "It's not your fault. Look, we'll just take your pants off and –"

The long-haired man really hadn't meant anything bad at all as he spoke, so he was honestly shocked when Bel started screaming in fear and Rasiel burst into tears as well. He should have known better than to be so tactless with boys who had been sexually abused, but he hadn't been thinking of that – he had just wanted to help Bel.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Squalo pulled away from the twins, raising his hands into the air defensively. "Look! Let's_ not _take our clothing off, okay?! Let's keep all of it on! I promise!"

As hard as Squalo tried to calm the boys down, it wasn't easy when passersby and motorists continued to stare and silently judge the man. It had taken fifteen minutes to at least get _Rasiel _to stop crying, but Bel was a different story – the small boy just refused any and all touch, and Squalo was _certain _he wasn't listening at all.

"Siel..." Squalo was about ready to snap, but he knew it wasn't Bel's fault – it was their parents who should have been shot years ago. "Siel, what do I do...?"

"B-brother...?" Rasiel wiped at his eyes as he moved closer to his twin, knowing that Bel wouldn't like even _him _to touch him. "Brother, it's okay... It's okay... No one's going to... do _that..._ It's okay..."

"I want to die..." Bel whimpered, raising his hands to grip at his blond strands. "I want to die..."

Squalo couldn't help but kick at his car before he turned away, pacing back and forth as he chewed at his nails. He knew the twins had suffered, but he didn't think Bel held such strong emotions towards his life. Was there really anything he could do...? He hadn't known someone who felt this way before. Could he handle it...? Or should he give Bel to someone else who could...?

_Looks like we're going to be quite late meeting up with you, Luss... _Squalo knew this was going to take a while to deal with.

_**~~XX~~**_

"What took you so long, dear?"

Squalo sighed as he got out of the car, slamming the door closed in frustration. He gestured to the twin sitting in the front seat, a new pair of pants covering the boy's lower half. It had been a struggle getting Bel to calm down but, once the blond started acknowledging stimuli around him, Squalo had been able to talk the boy into putting on the uniform pants that were sitting in the boot, waiting to be returned – the twins had enough school clothing, and the extra set was unneeded.

"He had an accident. Don't ask." Squalo's harsh voice was enough to tell the man literally _bouncing _on the spot to keep his mouth shut.

When Squalo opened the door and let Bel out of the front seat, the boy took in the appearance of the man he had seen talking to his guardian. The man had a long part of green hair, huge sunglasses that hid his eyes, and there was something about him that reminded Bel of a girl.

The younger twin stood behind Squalo, keeping his head ducked as his tiny hand gripped tightly the black pants the man was wearing. He moved immediately to Rasiel as his brother came to his side, finding more comfort in his twin than his guardian.

"Boys, this is Lussuria." Squalo gestured to his friend. "Luss, this is Rasiel and Belphegor."

"Oh, how darling!" The twins whimpered and took a step back as the man wriggled his rear, never having thought an _adult _would act like this before. "Such adorable little boys!"

The man – Lussuria – reached out to pinch the boys' cheeks, but though Rasiel was placid and merely diverted eye contact, Bel instinctively bit the finger that came too close to his face for comfort, drawing blood.

"Ouch!" Lussuria pulled his hand back, frowning at the younger twin. "Now, dear, it isn't nice to bite people!"

"Bel isn't a social bee like you, Luss." Squalo rolled his eyes. "He feels safer by himself. Attention scares him."

"Sweetie, I'm harmless~" Lussuria sent his best smile at the twins, trying to win them over. "Want some chocolate? I'll go buy you some chocolate."

Lussuria pouted when neither twin replied to him, but he didn't take it to heart – Squalo had already told him all about the twins, so he understood.

"What do you want for lunch, boys?" Squalo took Rasiel's hand, looking down at the twins. Bel just looked away, trembling.

"Can we have... hot chips with gravy...?" Rasiel smiled shyly up at his guardian, pulling his hand from Squalo's so he could raise his arms into the air.

"Sure." Squalo took Rasiel into his arms, holding the boy close. "Would you like some hot chips with gravy, too, Bel?"

Bel shook his head, silent as he followed the adults out of the underground car park and into the mall.

_**~~XX~~**_

While Rasiel ate his food happily, Bel just continued to stare at his own, not moving an inch. Squalo was greatly concerned about this behaviour, not knowing what it would take to get him to eat properly. Lussuria, whoever, continued to gush about anything and everything, not taking any notice of the twins' diverse eating habits.

"You're putting on a bit of weight, Siel." Squalo reached down, grabbing the older twin's arm gently. It had once been stick-thin, just skin wrapped tightly around bone, but it was just that tiniest bit bigger. Even looking down at the blond's body, the man could see the waist that had been sickly thin was in near-healthy shape, no longer emaciated like a kid living in a third-world country.

Bel, on the other hand, was only losing weight he just didn't have, and Squalo knew something had to be done about it _now. _

Rasiel frowned as he dropped his chips back onto the plate, looking away from his guardian. "...Is that a good thing...?"

"It's a very good thing," Squalo comforted. "It means you're getting healthier by the day. With an appetite like yours, it's no wonder."

Rasiel smiled bashfully before he returned to his meal. Bel just pushed his own plate away, dropping his head onto the table with a loud sigh.

Both Lussuria and Squalo sent worried looks at the younger twin, but they didn't comment on it; Squalo instead just tipped Bel's chips onto Rasiel's plate, knowing the boy would devour them without a second thought.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Bel and Rasiel sat in the library again with Mammon. Rasiel was sitting on his knees, watching curiously as the girl counted wads of money. Bel was curled up next to him, feeling very unwell; he felt as if he were going to throw up, and his body was sore.

This didn't go unnoticed by Mammon.

"What's the matter, Bel?" The girl slipped a rubber band around her cash before slipping it back into her pocket, turning her attention to the boy.

"I feel sick..." Bel curled up into a tighter ball, letting out a soft moan.

"Does he usually get sick?" The female student got to her feet, looking down at Rasiel.

Rasiel nodded, frowning. "He's always sick..."

Mammon nodded. She knelt down, brushing blond hair away from Bel's forehead. She rested the back of her hand against sweaty skin, feeling a high temperature. "Why didn't he stay home today if he's sick?"

"Because he was too scared to tell Squalo he wasn't feeling well..." The older twin reached out, grabbing his brother's hand. "We used to get beaten if we were sick..."

Mammon reached out, grabbing Bel by the underarms. She picked the tiny boy up, cradling him close to her chest; he was so light, it was as if she was just carrying a pile of clothing.

"M-mammy..." Bel groaned as he curled closer to the girl. His tiny hand gripped her purple blazer tightly, small pants escaping his lips. "Mammy..."

Mammon wasn't sure if the younger had given her some sort of nickname or he had an accent that was only now making an appearance – either way, she knew Bel was very ill.

"He should go home and have a rest," Mammon said as she started walking towards the door, taking her charge down to the infirmary. "He's very sick."

Rasiel gripped Mammon's blazer as well, his tiny legs jogging to keep up with the girl. He hid behind her as they passed people, flinching whenever someone got too close to them.

"My dear, what happened?"

Rasiel pressed against Mammon tightly as an unfamiliar voice filled the air. He peeked out around the girl, finding a woman standing in the doorway. Her long blond hair hung down to her waist, her eyes soft as she frowned down at the students.

"He's sick, and he needs to go home." Mammon handed the boy over as the school nurse took Bel from her hold. "He's got a fever. I think it might be flu."

The nurse nodded. "Yes, it does seem that way. We'll go lay him down and call his parents."

Mammon and Rasiel followed the woman further into the room, watching carefully as Bel was laid down on one of the beds, shivering as a blanket was wrapped around him.

"W-what's she doing...?" Rasiel whispered to his guardian, fearing for his brother's safety – both twins had learnt from an early age that beds weren't a good thing to be put on.

"She's just letting him rest while she goes and phones for your guardian." Mammon patted Rasiel's hair as she pulled him closer to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. "Is he busy?"

"He said he had to go to work..." Rasiel frowned at the thought. "...Does that mean Bel has to stay here while he's sick...?"

"I'm sure your guardian will be able to come and get him," the older student soothed.

"I want to go home with them..." Rasiel climbed onto Mammon's lap, pressing his front against hers. "I don't want to be here without Bel..."

"I'm sure you'll go home, too." Mammon stroked blond hair as she glanced down at the sick twin. "It seems your guardian cares very much for you both."

"He does." Rasiel sent a shy smile the girl's way. "He looks after us very well..."

Mammon smiled back, the two falling silent as they listened to Bel's harsh breathing and small whimpers, watching as the youngest tossed and turned in discomfort.

"Do you think Bel will be okay...?" Rasiel buried his face in Mammon's chest, hating to see his beloved twin like this.

"I'm sure that with a little rest, he'll be as good as new."

Rasiel nodded, hoping the girl was right.

_**~~XX~~**_

"I understand you're a new parent, but you should really keep in mind that when your children are sick, they should be at home resting."

Squalo rolled his eyes as he carefully lifted the now-sleeping Bel into his arms. "Look, if I _knew_ he was sick, I _would _have kept him home. He didn't seem very sick this morning – it must have aggravated after I dropped him off. Don't tell me how to raise _my _kids."

The silver-haired male patted Rasiel's head, the boy hiding behind him as he argued with the school nurse. He grabbed the tiny hand in his, tugging the older twin along behind him.

"You're not supposed to be taking him home without good reason!" the nurse called after them, regarding the healthy Rasiel. Squalo had never been as tempted as he was right now to give someone the finger.

"Bye, Mammon..." Rasiel whispered to the girl as he was lead past her.

"See you, Siel." Mammon had stayed with the twins until Squalo had arrived, and even now she was reluctant to leave; she was rather fond of the twins and their quirks, finding them quite interesting.

Rasiel looked up at his guardian with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open as thoughts ran through his mind. "Did you get in trouble for leaving work to come get us...?"

The man snorted. "I can't get in trouble – I can do whatever the fuck I want. The only ones higher up than me is Xanxus, who is in charge of our particular branch, and Xanxus' foster-father, who owns the entire company."

"That's cool." Rasiel smiled up at Squalo. "Does that mean you're... like a really, really important person? In the whole world?"

"I fucking wish." Squalo shrugged. "I'm not that important – I just get to boss around a shitload of people."

"Can we come to work with you one day?" Rasiel's eyes were obscured like always, but they shone with admiration. "I want to see what you do at work."

"Yeah, I don't see why not." Squalo held open the door to the outside world, waiting for the stronger twin to exit first. "I have to stop back there anyway on our way home – I have to fix the report I was working on before I left."

Rasiel was placid as he talked to Squalo, the two closing the distance between them and the car. The man buckled Rasiel into the backseat before he took Bel to the front, wanting to keep an eye on him in case something happened. Rasiel didn't mind; he loved his brother, even if Bel didn't seem to return it.

"We're going to stop by the chemist before we go anywhere else." Squalo turned the car on as he spoke. "All we have is tablets that you guys can't have. Gonna need something more kid-friendly."

"Our parents took lots of tablets," Rasiel pointed out. "All the time, even when they weren't sick."

Dark eyes narrowed as Squalo sneered, understanding what the twin was referencing; he had suspected drugs had played a role regarding the twins' abuse.

"Well, we don't do anything like that, Rasiel – we only use them when we're sick. Don't worry about it anymore."

Rasiel nodded, turning to stare out of the window as Squalo drove them through town.

_**~~XX~~**_

After a trip to the chemist to buy some medicine for Bel, Squalo took the twins down to the company to finish what he had been doing previously. He didn't want to stay for too long while Bel was so sick, but running a company was demanding at times, such as now.

Rasiel had been in awe at how big the building his guardians worked in was, his young mind unable to comprehend the fact that it _didn't_ reach the sky. His eyes scanned his surroundings quickly, taking in every little detail around him.

The boy didn't particularly like the elevator they stepped into, finding it frightening and was convinced that it would fall with them still inside it, but holding Squalo's hand tightly helped with his worry.

Once they got out of the elevator and stepped out into an open space with desks everywhere, occupied by more people than Rasiel could count, the boy's admiration for Squalo only grew – if Squalo could handle this many people, he must be even more amazing than he had originally thought.

"When we get into the office, you'll have to sit quietly on the couch and look after your brother," Squalo explained as he led his charge over to the office on the other side of the room. "It's about time for Xanxus' nap, and he'll be cranky if you wake him up."

Rasiel nodded, knowing how scary the scarred man was when his nap was disturbed. He stepped into the office after Squalo a minute later, noticing that, on one side of the room, Xanxus sat at a desk, sleeping. There was a computer on the desk, with lots of paper spread out against the hardwood with a file cabinet resting against the side. Opposite what was clearly Xanxus' work area sat another space, near identical to Xanxus' with the exception that there was a couch resting against the wall beneath the window.

"Go sit down," Squalo said quietly, passing Bel over to Rasiel. "I'll be done soon."

Rasiel nodded, doing as instructed. He laid his brother down on the black leather couch, running his hand through golden locks. The younger male had been wrapped in Squalo's jacket, trying to bring some warmth to the shivering body.

Obscured eyes watched as Squalo turned his computer on before he navigated through the hard drive, bringing up a document with words and official-looking stamps all over it. The constant sound of typing soothed Rasiel, and he felt as if he could doze off to the sound.

"Jill...?"

Rasiel woke with a start, blinking sleep out of his eyes as he looked down at his brother. He ran a hand through the younger's hair again, pressing a finger against his lips – a sign that Bel knew only too well.

"What's wrong?" Rasiel whispered, knowing his brother needed him there.

"I feel really sick..." Bel laid his head on his brother's lap, sighing. "Really, really sick..."

"Squalo bought you some medicine to make you feel better." The stronger male smiled down at his sickly sibling. "He has to finish some stuff here and then we're going to go home so you can rest."

"Where's... Where's Mammon...?"

"She's still at school." Rasiel looked over to Xanxus, finding that the man's sleep hadn't been disturbed. "She stayed with us until Squalo came."

"I miss Mammon already..." Bel pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "She makes me feel safe..."

"She's really nice, isn't she, brother?"

Bel nodded, humming in response. His eyes slipped closed once again, his frail body struggling to fight against his sickness.

Rasiel just continued to run his hand through blond locks, daydreaming for a few more minutes before Squalo turned off the computer monitor and stood up, moving over to the couch to pick Bel back up.

"We're going home now," Squalo explained as he led Rasiel over to the door. "I'll give him some medicine when we get home and then put him in his bed. You can sleep in the spare bedroom until he's a bit better."

Rasiel just nodded, part of him wishing Mammon had come with them; the girl made _him _feel safe as well, and he was certain Bel would like it if she were to come visit him while he was sick.


	8. Chapter 8

Xanxus wasn't very happy with Squalo taking time off work to look after the twins. He understood that Bel was sick, but it wasn't like they couldn't find a babysitter or something for him.

It was Friday, and school had recently let out. Xanxus was at work, Bel was upstairs resting in his bedroom, and Squalo and Rasiel were watching the TV together, the silver-haired man failing to understand how the older twin could be interested in a show as ridiculous as _Pokemon_ – then again, Rasiel _was _still just a boy.

"I like that Pokemon." Rasiel smiled as he pointed to the TV, a slight bounce in his movements. "It's like a puppy."

Squalo snorted, looking at the orange-furred Pokemon, complete with black stripes over its body. He couldn't really see the attraction to it, but he could understand Rasiel liking it for its similarity to a puppy; the twins had been through a lot, and their childish innocence had grounded them in an appreciation for animals – Rasiel, anyway; Bel didn't really show much interest in anything around him.

"Could we get a puppy one day, Squalo?" The blond boy smiled shyly as he looked at his guardian, his obscured eyes shining with hope. "A cute puppy?"

"We have a cat, Rasiel," Squalo pointed out. "Bester. I thought you liked him?"

"I _do, _but Bester's mean to me..." Rasiel pouted as he put his arm out, sliding his sleeve up to reveal scratches from the fluffy white cat Xanxus had owned for years now. "He's only nice to Xanxus..."

"Bester _is _a bit of a bitch," the man agreed. "Just like his owner."

"Shesheshe~" Rasiel giggled as he turned his attention back to the TV. "Xanxus is kind of scary, though..."

"That's just his way of showing affection." Squalo shrugged. "You'll get used to it. I seriously doubt he'd do anything to hurt you or Bel, though – he's not that kind of person, even if he seems like it."

The boy's shoulders tensed before he looked at his lap, frowning. "...What if he _does _hurt us...?"

"If he ever does anything to you that you or Bel don't like, you tell me and I'll deal with it. Okay? Even if it's something small, like the way he talks to you or something he says. You don't need to be scared of him; this is _your _home, too."

The boy slipped a small smile back on his face as he nodded, knowing that Squalo was someone he could trust – he wasn't like the other men he had encountered in his life; Squalo was _nice. _

The two focused again on the TV for a while until the sound of the doorbell ringing got the silver-haired man to his feet. He grumbled as he went to get the door, not expecting any visitors.

To Squalo's surprise, Mammon was standing on the doorstep, her hands in the pockets of her blazer as she looked up into Squalo's face. The man was only just now noticing how short she was compared to him; just one inch off being six feet tall, Squalo was used to people being shorter than him, but this girl barely came up to his stomach.

Well, at least she was taller than the twins who were no bigger than his _legs_.

"How did you find out where we lived?" Squalo raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes fixing on the girl.

"Their teacher told me to bring homework over for them." Mammon gestured to the bag strapped to her back. "The principal gave me your address."

The long-haired male didn't like the fact that his address was being handed out so carelessly, but he could make an exception for Mammon – the twins liked her, and that was enough for him.

"Bel is upstairs, resting." Squalo stepped away from the door, allowing the female entrance. "He's still sick, so it might be a good idea to stay downstairs with Siel."

"If I may, I'd appreciate it if I could see him." Mammon had always been the kind of person who mostly hid what they were feeling; it made Squalo wonder if the seemingly-emotionless girl was up to something.

"What for?" The man couldn't help be over-protective of _his _boys.

"He was feeling really bad at school and I thought he might like some company." Mammon shrugged. "I can't imagine he's having any fun."

Squalo knew the girl had a point – but hell, she was old enough to know she might get sick, so if she wanted to risk it, why stop her? "His bedroom's upstairs. The door's open. You'll find it. If he's sleeping, leave him be."

Mammon nodded as she headed to the stairs. She climbed them slowly, focusing her attention on finding the right room – she didn't know who else lived in this house, and she didn't want to potentially walk in on anyone else.

To the girl's relief, the sound of coughing led her in the right direction.

"He's leaving you up here alone?" Mammon stood in the doorway of Bel's bedroom, noticing the tiny boy curled up on the bed, wiping at his running nose with his bare arm.

Bel turned to look at Mammon. He shook his head, pushing himself into a sitting position before he wrapped the blankets tightly around his body. "Squalo... checks on me all the time... He gives... me medicine..."

Mammon shrugged again, moving to sit on the end of the bed. She threw her bag carelessly by her feet, looking around the small room. "Still, I think you'd be better off downstairs where they can hear if anything happens."

"I didn't... want... to be down there..." Bel moved closer to Mammon, dropping his head onto her shoulder.

Mammon reached out, rubbing the boy's back. She didn't flinch as Bel coughed in her general direction, knowing the boy already felt crap enough without her adding to the burden.

"I missed you guys," Mammon admitted. "It's quiet now that I've grown used to you and Siel."

Bel moaned softly as a wave of nausea hit him. He pulled away from the girl, leaning over the side of the bed to grab the bucket Squalo had left there for him. He retched, his stomach heaving with the effort, but his fragile body just didn't_ have _anything to throw up.

Mammon returned to patting Bel's back, speaking softly to him. "It's okay, Bel. You'll feel better in a few days."

Bel nodded once the nausea had passed. He laid back down on the bed, moaning again; being so sick was making him hungrier than usual, but he was too scared to eat the food Squalo brought up for him – even if Rasiel tried to feed him, he was terrified of the idea of Squalo walking in and finding him eating; he just didn't want for the man to hurt him.

"Have you been eating?" Mammon sighed as Bel's stomach growled loudly, knowing the answer. "What about keeping your fluids up? Are you drinking?"

Bel shook his head, feeling as if he were dying. He closed his eyes when the girl leant down and grabbed her bag, the sound of the zipper opening filling the air.

"Here." Mammon resurfaced with a water bottle, twisting open the cap. "Drink this."

Bel hesitantly reached out with shaking hands, taking the bottle. He licked warily at the cap, having been poisoned several times for trying to drink _something _in a dehydrated state back when he was still living with his parents; they had taken to coating things they knew the twins would want and left them lying around the house, finding entertainment in their children suffering because of their cruel deeds.

When the blond was satisfied the water was safe, he took a few sips, unable to stomach the idea of drinking more.

The indigo-haired girl took back the bottle as it was passed to her, resurfacing next with a lunchbox. She opened the black lid and revealed a cup of chocolate yoghurt, a banana and a few cookies she hadn't gotten around to eating. She hated wasting food, knowing it was a misuse of the money used to buy said food.

"What do you want?" Mammon moved the lunchbox closer so that Bel could see better.

Bel was hesitant as he eyed the food. Bananas scared him, the shape reminding him of things he wanted to forget; that was out of the question. He recognised the cup of yoghurt to be the same ones Squalo bought, and he liked the small treat, but he had never had cookies before.

A tiny finger pointed to the cookies, Bel instinctively preparing himself for a beating as he did so. He flinched as the cookies were handed to him, looking anywhere but at Mammon as he accepted them.

The boy nibbled like a mouse, afraid of what could happen if Squalo knew he had eaten. He leant into Mammon's touch as the girl ran a hand through his blond locks, slowly getting the confidence to eat a tad faster.

"How did you do that?"

Bel whimpered and dropped the cookies at Squalo's voice, his body twisting to the side as if it was remembering severe pain. Tears ran down his cheeks as he cowered, automatically bringing his arms up as if to shield himself from something.

Squalo just sighed before he moved into the room, grabbing the fallen cookies from the bed sheets. He brushed them off before he held it in front of the frightened boy, Mammon watching with careful eyes.

"Bel." Squalo was calm, continuously calling the boy's name until Bel looked at him. "Bel. It's okay. Bel."

When the younger male finally turned to look at his guardian, he realised that – for the first time in his life – a man was _letting _him eat instead of punishing him for it.

Bel hesitantly took the cookies back, raising them to his lips. His obscured eyes were fixed on Squalo as he watched for the slightest sign of an incoming attack, nibbling warily at his food.

The man raised his hand ever-so-slowly until it was finally resting on Bel's head. He patted his charge, offering a small smile just for Bel.

"This is the first time he's eaten something from someone other than Rasiel." Squalo nodded his head at the boy while his grey eyes remained fixed on the guest. "What did you do?"

"I just asked him what he wanted out of my lunchbox and he pointed to the cookies."

Squalo understood, wishing he had thought to try that sooner. "You're definitely staying for dinner."

"Thirty euros." The student held her hand out expectantly.

"You're going to bankrupt me, do you realise that?" Squalo glared before he sighed in a resigned manner. "I'll pay you _after _dinner, but you'd better not tell my partner I'm paying you for _dinner; _he's already unhappy with everything _else _I'm paying you for."

"Works for me." Mammon shrugged. "I'm going to talk to Siel for a few minutes and then I'm going home. What time should I be here by?"

"Around six."

"I'll be here by then." Mammon patted Bel's knee as she grabbed her bag, getting back to her feet. "See you tonight, Bel. Enjoy your cookies."

Bel waved a hand, his tiny digits curling in what Squalo could only imagine was the boy's unusual way of waving a farewell.

_At least we may have solved his eating problems... _The man stood up, grabbing the bottle of medicine that sat on the bookshelf. _I just hope he'll start eating by himself soon – he can't go on like this for much longer. _


	9. Chapter 9

**There was originally a time-skip in this chapter, but when I was re-reading it, it felt like I had rushed it too much and that the character development apparent in the next chapter was too sudden. I've tried to ease the character development a little more with this chapter, but I'm still not too sure. I might just change some stuff around in the next chapter and save it for later instead. **

A few weeks after Bel had gotten over his sickness, he approached Squalo and Xanxus long after he had been put to bed. The two adults had been in the middle of sex when their bedroom door was pushed open, a head of blond hair peeking in.

Bel didn't make any effort to let them know he was there; he just watched the two men curiously, knowing that this was the same thing that his father used to always do to him, but Squalo – who was in the position Bel always was – seemed to be enjoying it.

"Xanxus, I..." Squalo moaned, letting his head drop to the side as he raised a hand to drop over his forehead. His dark eyes were about to close before they caught sight of one of the twins standing by the door, his heart jumping at the realisation. "Fuck! Xanxus!"

Xanxus growled as he was pushed away, not happy at all – he wasn't used to this treatment, and he _didn't _like it. "What?"

"Get the fuck off me, you dumbass – the kids are awake." Squalo rolled over to his side, grabbing at the clothing that had been discarded earlier.

Xanxus just snarled as he pulled the covers over his body, angrier than he had been in a while; Squalo had been insistent on not putting out since they had brought the twins home, convinced that something like this would happen, and when he finally _did _get back in the mood...

Xanxus was _not happy_.

"What's wrong, Bel?" Squalo had shoved his pants back on as he moved to the doorway, stepping out into the corridor to close the bedroom door behind him. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"I can't sleep..." Bel sighed as he fidgeted. "...I... I can't sleep..."

"Why not?" Squalo had noticed that, ever since Bel had started eating, his sleep had become near non-existent – it was as if the only reason he had been sleeping in the first place was because he just had no energy whatsoever to keep him going.

Bel just shrugged, looking at his feet. "...I just can't..."

Squalo sighed before he nodded. He reached out, putting a hand on Bel's shoulder, acting indifferently as the younger male flinched. "Let's go heat you up some milk."

Bel was wary as he followed his guardian but, eventually, his tiny fingers grasped the grey sweatpants Squalo wore. He pressed his body close to Squalo's leg, shivering. He was trying to seek the comfort Rasiel always seemed to get by being so close to Squalo, but it only made _him _more nervous.

"Sit down at the table, Bel." Squalo's fingertips ghosted through blond hair as he parted from the boy, heading to the fridge on his left.

Bel did as he was told, watching with wary eyes as the man poured a glass of milk and took it to the microwave. He was worried that his milk would be too hot to drink but, once it was placed in front of him, he found that Squalo had made it just right.

"Drink that up and see if it helps some." Squalo sat across from Bel, tapping his fingers against the hardwood as he waited patiently for the boy to finish gulping down the drink. "Better?"

Bel nodded, feeling a bit calmer than he had been before. He stood up when Squalo did, following the man back up the stairs.

"Think you can go back to sleep now?" The silver-haired man made a mental note to take the boy to the doctor, his hope that Bel's sleep would eventually sort itself out unfulfilled.

Bel nodded. He was silent until they stopped in front of the twins' bedroom, his mouth forming a frown as he looked down again.

"...Why... did you like that...?" Bel whispered, his voice wavering.

"What?"

"..." The blond shifted uneasily before he spoke again, starting to shake. "..._That_... What... What Xanxus was doing to you... Why did you like it...?"

"I liked it because it feels good for me..." Squalo wasn't entirely sure of what was going through Bel's mind, but he had a pretty good idea; he wondered if the twins had been raped during the abuse. "It feels good for _us_... It's how we show that we love each other..."

Bel shook his head, as if he didn't believe the other's words. He didn't comment on it; he instead moved closer to Squalo, wrapping his arms around the man's leg. He sighed as he rested his head against a strong hip, slowly coming to understand why Rasiel liked Squalo so much.

"It's time for bed, Bel." Squalo pushed the ajar door open, looking into the room; Rasiel was still fast asleep, his black winter pyjamas making him near impossible to see within the darkness of the room. "Come on."

Bel followed hesitantly, reluctant to climb back onto the bed. He flinched instinctively as Squalo lifted him up, and his heart raced as he was laid down on the mattress. However, he soon relaxed as the blanket was lifted over his frail body, a hand smoothing back his blond hair.

"Goodnight, Bel." Squalo stood up, turning to leave, but he was stopped again by a hand grabbing his sweatpants. "What is it?"

"...If... If I can't go back to sleep... can I go downstairs and watch TV or something...?" Bel sounded fearful, as if he was expecting repercussions for even _asking_ such a thing.

Squalo nodded, wanting Bel to feel comfortable now that the younger had finally gathered the courage to come to him. "If you make an honest attempt at going back to sleep, you can go downstairs and watch TV. Knock on my door before you come in, and I'll come down with you and put a DVD in for you."

Bel nodded. "Okay..."

"Good boy." Squalo felt the boy's hand leave his person, and he took this opportunity to leave. He closed the door as quietly as he could behind him, not wanting to disturb Rasiel's rest.

Moving back to his own room, Squalo was met by an angry glare from Xanxus. He just shrugged and laid back down on his bed, pulling the blankets over him.

"I'm not in the mood anymore." Squalo rolled onto his side, his back to his lover. "Sorry, Xanxus. You can take care of it yourself, though."

Xanxus' glare only became more deadly as he muttered to himself, getting off the bed to move into the adjoining bathroom. It wasn't that he hated the twins, but fucking hell, they were both cockblocks.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Got your blanket?" Squalo rubbed at his eyes as he switched on the living room lights. He looked down at Bel who was dragging a spare blanket behind him, a pillow tucked under his arm.

Bel nodded as he moved to the couch, dropping his items by its side. He watched in silence as Squalo made up a bed on the couch for him, and soon enough, he was being tucked in tight.

The man moved to the entertainment system, opening one of the cabinets to look at the collection of DVDs. He pulled some out, reading the titles aloud for Bel to choose.

The boy eventually opted for the Pokemon series that Squalo had bought for Rasiel, and once the silver-haired male had set everything up and pressed play on the remote, he adjusted the sound so that it was just loud enough for Bel to hear.

"I'll go warm you up some more milk." Squalo headed into the kitchen, leaving Bel to curl up on the couch and watch the TV in contentment. He wasn't sure what time it was, but it felt late to him; the alarm clock he had seen in Squalo's bedroom had flashed one-something when he had glanced at it earlier.

When Squalo came back and gave the warm glass to the boy, he said goodnight, turned the lights off and then left to go straight back upstairs, having only just gotten to sleep when Bel had woken him.

Bel waited until he was certain Squalo was out of earshot before he whispered, "Goodnight..."

It didn't take much longer for Bel to finally drift off to sleep, feeling at peace for once.


	10. Chapter 10

**The time-skip will happen next chapter to advance along the plot. I really wanted to do it earlier, but it felt too rushed and with little character development between everyone, so I've extended it out to this chapter. **

When Squalo came downstairs the next morning, Bel was still fast asleep on the couch, the DVD menu looping in the background. Squalo turned the TV off and moved into the kitchen, going to start on breakfast.

It didn't take long for Rasiel to come downstairs, the boy rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat at the table, watching his guardian work.

"Morning, Siel." The silver-haired man nodded in appreciation at the boy, turning his attention back to the pancakes he was working on. "Have a nice sleep?"

Rasiel nodded. "Where was Bel?"

"He slept downstairs. He was having trouble sleeping. Can you wake him up for me?"

Rasiel nodded as he stood back up, moving towards the living room. Squalo didn't think anything was out of the ordinary – it seemed just like a normal morning – so when one of the twins squealed as if they were in pain, and a loud crash sounded seconds later, Squalo was quick to turn the stove off and abandon the pancakes as he ran out into the living room, his dark eyes searching for whatever had hurt the boy.

What Squalo hadn't expected was to find Rasiel lying on the ground, Bel on top of him, the younger twin's tiny hands hitting at his brother.

"Bel!" Squalo grabbed the smaller twin, pulling him away from Rasiel. "The fuck are you thinking?!"

Bel twisted and squirmed in his guardian's arms, but Squalo just tightened his hold on the younger. Rasiel was cowering on the ground, tears running down his cheeks as blood dribbled from a gash on his arm; looking at the scene, Squalo had deduced that Rasiel had fallen and hit the coffee table.

The smaller blond looked up at Squalo, his mouth set in a firm frown. He shook his head, his mouth opening and closing as if he was trying to say something but couldn't find the words.

"Are you alright, Siel?" Squalo hugged Bel with one arm, extending the other towards the stronger twin. "What happened?"

Rasiel wiped at his eyes, sniffing as he tried to control his emotions. "I... I just... tried to... wake him up..."

Squalo really didn't know what to think, or what he was supposed to do; which twin was he supposed to side with? Which one had been in the wrong? How was he supposed to punish something he wasn't certain of?

"Bel, you need to apologise to your brother." Squalo had _seen _Bel hitting Rasiel, so at least he knew _that _was the truth, but... _Why _had Bel hit Rasiel in the first place?

Bel just made a noise before he turned and buried his face in against Squalo's chest. The man was smart enough to know that the kid was trying to get out of apologising.

"Bel, if you hurt your brother, you apologise," Squalo explained. "That's how things work. Are you going to say sorry or not?"

Bel just shook his head, murmuring something unintelligible.

"It's okay..." Rasiel whispered, looking anywhere but at his brother. "I know he doesn't like me... He doesn't have to say sorry..."

"Why would you think he doesn't like you, Siel?" Squalo sighed. "It doesn't seem that way to me."

"He tells me all the time that he hates me... He hates me because I was treated better than him... I wasn't... _hurt, _like he was..."

Squalo didn't entirely understand, but he didn't push, hoping that Rasiel would open up once he was ready. Instead, he let go of Bel, watching as the boy scampered away elsewhere.

Rasiel seemed upset, but he didn't comment on it. He instead reached out, gripping Squalo's pants as he followed the man back into the kitchen.

"Can I help you make breakfast...?" Rasiel smiled shyly up at his guardian.

The man nodded, knowing it would help get the boy's mind off things.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Bel's bedroom door opened a few hours later, he was happy to find that Mammon was walking in to his room.

"Mammy~" Bel stood up, closing the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around the girl, burying his face in her chest. "Mammy, I was wondering when you'd come."

Mammon patted Bel's head before she gently pushed him away. "I'm here."

Bel's good mood disappeared as he remembered earlier, upset that he felt as if he had been in trouble for defending himself – he hadn't liked Rasiel's hands on his body, and he had only wanted to get the older twin away.

"Jill got me in trouble." Bel pouted, sitting down on the edge of his bed. He looked at his lap, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "He was touching me, and I only wanted him to stop..."

"Touching you?" Mammon frowned, knowing what those words implied. "Where?"

"He was shaking my shoulders, and I didn't like it – I just wanted him to stop..." Bel's pout grew bigger. "I don't like it when people touch me – especially when _Jill _touches me."

"You don't mind when _I _touch you," Mammon corrected.

"But you're nice in your touches," the blond explained. "Jill used to touch me in bad places because daddy made him..."

Mammon's frown deepened at these words, not knowing how to reply. "I'm sure Siel didn't want to touch you there, Bel... Don't be mad at him."

"But I _am _mad at him!" A tear slipped down Bel's pale cheek. "Daddy made him touch me there, and... and do worse things... I _hate _him for it!"

"It wasn't his fault, Bel." Mammon sighed, putting her hand on the younger's shoulder. "I bet he feels just as bad as you do for the things he did."

Bel, too tired to argue further, just let his body slump against the girl. He whimpered softly, closing his eyes. "...I just don't want him to hurt me again..."

"He won't, Bel. He won't." Mammon wasn't used to comforting others, but Bel really was easy to soothe once he got used to you; he just liked to be held and reassured that things would be okay. "He only did it because he was made to. Right?"

Bel nodded. "Right..."

"And Squalo doesn't make him do it, so he won't do it again."

Bel nodded again, knowing that Mammon was right. He buried his face into her chest again, his tiny fingers curling into her black jacket. The girl embraced him, knowing that Bel had been through a lot and needed a friend.

Most importantly, Bel just needed to learn how to be a kid again – he had suffered through things no one should experience, and the trauma had left him as merely the shell of a human.

"Want to play a game?" Mammon offered.

Bel looked up, frowning; he didn't like the idea of a 'game', knowing what they had entailed when his parents had suggested them.

Mammon nodded. "It's called 'Hot and Cold'."

"...How do you play it...?" The boy's fingers curled tighter without conscious thought.

"I pick an object – any object – in the room, but I don't tell you what is it. You look for it. If you're getting close to it, I'll say 'warm' or 'hot'. If you're too far away, I'll say 'cold' or 'freezing'. Sound fun?"

Bel smiled as he nodded, releasing Mammon; he felt comfortable with this game. "Okay."

Mammon nodded, already having chosen an object. "Get ready."

For the first few minutes of the game, Bel was slow and uncoordinated; nervous. But once he got the hang of the game and his confidence picked up, he was soon playing with a bright smile. He eventually found the object Mammon had chosen, one of the dinosaur toys Squalo had bought for them.

The boy had cheered happily, hugging the dinosaur before immediately exclaiming that he wanted to pick an object. He giggled as he directed Mammon, his hidden eyes gleaming with joy.

Mammon couldn't help but think that Bel really _did _deserve the love and nurture he had been denied for so long; he was such a sweet little boy.


	11. Chapter 11

When the twins started hitting puberty at thirteen-years-old, Squalo noticed that the older twin was uncomfortable with it. While Bel seemed to be coping normally with it, he wasn't surprised that Rasiel didn't masturbate and instead sought out alternatives for when he was aroused. It wasn't until Rasiel opened up to him did he truly understand why, however.

"It's completely normal for you to touch yourself, Siel." Squalo was lying on his bed, having been reading, while Xanxus tended to the company. "I touch myself, and so does Xanxus."

Rasiel looked uncomfortable as his head dropped forward. His shoulders tensed as he tried to gather up the courage to explain things, and it was the comfort that Squalo radiated that helped him.

"...Mommy and daddy used to touch us down there..." A single tear slid down the boy's cheek as his hands fumbled with one another. "They made us touch each other, too... They made Bel... put his mouth on me, and made me... put _that _inside him..."

Squalo's eyes softened as he reached out, pulling Rasiel onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him tightly as he sighed; he had expected the molestation, but he hadn't known that the twins had been forced into sexual relations with each other. "That was so fucking wrong of them, Siel..."

"They took us into the basement where the video camera was..." More tears slid down Rasiel's cheek as he finally opened up to Squalo about what his nightmares made him remember each and every night. "Sometimes daddy would put _that _inside Bel and make me watch, or sometimes he'd touch us both, but it was always where the camera was... He'd hurt us if we tried to say no... He'd always make me hurt my little brother..."

"What they did to you both should _never _have happened, Siel, but you shouldn't let that get in the way of things." Squalo ran his fingers through blond locks, wishing he knew what to do – the only problem was, he had never been in that kind of situation before. "The things they did to you make _them _the sick ones, not you or Bel. It's _completely _normal for you guys to... to be sexually stimulated now, and it's healthy for you to touch yourself. What isn't normal is what _they _did to you."

Rasiel shook his head, moving closer to Squalo's warmth. "I don't want to touch myself or Bel anymore... I don't... want_ that _to happen anymore..."

"Siel, it's going to happen whether you like it or not. I can't imagine how it makes you feel, but it's really not anything to be scared of – in this house, no one is going to touch you against your will, Siel. The only one who will touch you from now on is yourself. Okay?"

Rasiel nodded, knowing his guardian was right. He pushed himself off of Squalo, lying next to him as he watched the man pick up his book again. His obscured eyes scanned the words quickly, wondering what the book was about.

"What's Bel doing?" Squalo never moved his eyes off his book as he questioned the younger.

"He's in our room with Mammon." Rasiel moved his eyes upwards to look at Squalo's face. "He said he was feeling bad today."

"How are you getting along with him?" The man was aware of the fact that, though Bel was getting along with _him, _he had been pushing Rasiel away and going as far as to attack him at times. He wasn't entirely sure of what he could do about the situation, not wanting to punish Bel in a way that would cause him to remember things he didn't want to, but he knew he had to do _something;_ he just wasn't sure of what.

"He bit me earlier..." Rasiel rolled up his white sleeve, revealing teeth marks that had broken through skin.

"For fuck's sake..." Squalo threw his book onto the bed as he sat up, pulling Rasiel along with him. "And he wonders why he's not allowed to have knives anymore..."

Rasiel followed Squalo into the bathroom, watching as the man grabbed the first aid kit. He held his arm out, waiting patiently for the taller male to tend to the wound.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Mammy, I'm bored." Bel sighed, shifting slightly from where he laid across the ground with his head in Mammon's lap. He was enjoying the feeling of the girl threading her fingers through his head, but he was tired and grumpy, having not been sleeping properly.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Mammon didn't mind the position she was in; she found it quite comfortable.

"I want to go into town today." Bel's small fingers reached out, playing with the hem of Mammon's black skirt. "Can we go into town today, Mammy?"

"If Squalo says it's okay." Mammon waited until Bel had sat up before she got to her feet. She pulled her skirt down, fixing her matching black jacket before she walked to the door.

Bel was quick to move in front of her, bouncing over to Squalo's bedroom door. He knocked on it before he pushed it open without invitation, dancing inside as if he was in a great mood.

"Squ-Squ?" Bel grinned in a manner that reminded Mammon of a crazed killer – in all honestly, Bel _wasn't _the most stable person she had met, and she wasn't entirely sure of it was only because of the previous abuse or not.

"In here, Bel." Squalo and Rasiel stepped out of the adjoining bathroom, the man's dark eyes narrowed as he pushed the older twin in front of him. "Did you bite your brother again?"

"Ushishishi~" Bel nodded, his grin widening.

Squalo worried greatly about Bel, knowing that the boy's personality had developed from a traumatised boy into one that showed signs of psychopathic behaviour. However, it seemed that no matter how many doctors he took the boy to, none of them were willing to do anything to help, instead dismissing Bel's actions as that of a damaged child.

The man sighed. "Why would you bite him, Bel?"

"Because I hate him." Bel's smile never faltered in the least. "Can I go into town with Mammy today?"

"What the – Bel! You can't just hurt your brother and then expect me to let you do whatever you want!" Squalo shook his head. "It doesn't work that way!"

"But I'm _bored!_" Bel argued, stomping his foot on the ground. "I want to go into _town!_"

"You bit your brother when he did nothing to you, Bel." Squalo knew that Bel was seeking aggression from his guardian – he knew also that he couldn't give it to him; after all the abuse the twins had been through, Bel barely understood love and kindness. He could be placid when he wanted to be, but Squalo knew, beneath it all, Bel wasn't all there. "Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

"Ushishishi~ Nope." Behind long bangs, Bel's obscured eyes sparkled with entertainment. "Now I can go into town with Mammy?"

"Not until you apologise to Siel."

Bel pouted and stomped his foot. He shook his head, making an agitated noise. "I want to _go!_"

"I said you can go once you apologise to your fucking brother!" Squalo snapped back. He hadn't meant to take his frustration out on the younger twin, and he felt horrible when Bel whimpered and flinched, stepping back to hide behind Mammon as if he feared the other was going to hurt him.

With a sigh, Squalo made his own apology. "I didn't mean to snap at you, Bel... I'm sorry."

Bel just nodded, frowning as he stared at his feet. His fingers curled into Mammon's jacket, pressing closer to the girl. He was feeling down at the moment, his good mood ruined; he hated when he was yelled at.

"Mammon, my wallet's downstairs." Squalo placed a hand on Rasiel's head as he tried to keep himself calm. "Take some money out of that. Have him home by dinner."

Mammon nodded, turning around the leave the room. Bel followed close behind her, his head down. Squalo knew that he was remembering the abuse – and it was all because he hadn't been able to keep his temper in check.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Mammy..."

Mammon was aware of the other travellers on the bus watching them with cautious eyes; with the way Bel kept rubbing up against her in between grinning crazily at the others, it was clear that they were sharing the bus with a boy who wasn't entirely sane.

"What is it, Bel?" The seventeen-year-old was counting Squalo's money, her attention only half focused on the boy.

"When we get into town, can we get some ice cream?" Bel rubbed against the older teenager again, draping his arms around Mammon's neck. His hot breath billowed onto her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I want strawberry."

Mammon nodded, used to Bel's spontaneous acts of affection; she couldn't work out for the life of her why Bel trusted her more than Squalo or Rasiel, but she had a pretty good idea; her suspicions told her he had wanted the love of a mother he had never been given, and as his unstable disposition developed, his wants changed to suit his way of thinking.

The girl could remember a time where Bel was sweet and quiet, all laughter and smiles if you played a few games with him. Over the years he had become a bit withdrawn, pulling away from Mammon and his family, only to emerge again with aggressive behaviour.

Bel's aggression had never been directed to Mammon or Squalo, the one taking the brunt of it Rasiel and a few kids at school who Bel knew he could stand over. However, unlike the standard 'coward' bully, Bel would pick on people bigger and stronger than he was, and if someone fought back, Bel never backed down.

Vastly contrasting to Bel, Rasiel was quiet and kept to himself, no one having anything bad to say about him.

"Mammy, after ice cream, can we go see a movie?" Bel unwrapped himself from Mammon and instead dropped onto his back, resting his head in the girl's lap so that he could look up at her. "Please?"

"What movie?" Mammon had taken more than enough money from Squalo's wallet – she had to make sure she was paid for this, after all – and knew there would be plenty to spend on whatever Bel wanted to do.

"I don't care." Bel's grin widened. "Anything~"

Mammon glanced out of the window as she felt the bus coming to a stop. "I guess so. Squalo's paying, so why not?"

Bel sat up when people started leaving their seats, ignoring the looks that were sent his way. They bothered him, but he had learnt that without his eyes visible, it wasn't easy to tell what he was thinking as long as he kept his grin up.

The two teenagers were the last to get off the bus, walking closely together in the direction of the local ice cream parlour. Ice cream was Bel's favourite snack, second only to sushi.

As they walked, Bel hummed to himself, observing everyone around him; he had to make sure none of them were going to hurt he or Mammon, after all.

_**~~XX~~**_

Seated towards the back of the ice cream parlour, Bel and Mammon sat together, the two focused on their treats – at least Mammon was; Bel was busy watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Mammy~" Bel scooted closer to the girl, his grin plastered to his face. Ever since his body had started undergoing changes, he had come curious about sex and its meaning. Squalo had given him and Rasiel the talk, and though Bel had yet to experience what Squalo had described as 'sexual need', he _was _curious about kissing. "Has Mammy ever kissed someone before?"

"You know I haven't, Bel." Beneath the hood Mammon always wore, she rolled her eyes.

"I like to think I haven't kissed anyone, too~" Bel licked at his ice cream as his calculating mind pieced together information. "Can I kiss Mammy?"

"Do you have any idea how wrong it is for us to be doing such a thing?" Mammon shook her head. "You're thirteen, I'm almost eighteen, and as far as I know, there are no romantic feelings between us."

"You mean you _don't _feel romantic about me?" Bel mock-pouted before he laughed. "Ushishishi~ What if I _am_ curious about that kind of stuff, and I want to – as Squ-Squ puts it – _experiment _with Mammy~?"

"Experimentation aside, why would I want to make out with you, Bel? What gives you that idea?"

"Because I can make Squ-Squ pay Mammy double."

Mammon could just _see _the dollar signs popping up in front of her eyes; Squalo always _had _paid her more for whenever she made progress with the twins... She could just imagine the money she could make if she somehow found a way to get Bel past his trauma and make him sexually active...

"Eat your ice cream first; it's a waste of money to let it melt." As usual, Mammon was thinking money. However, part of her _did _want to 'experiment' with Bel. She wondered if it was because of the twins' background, if she wanted to help Bel overcome his trauma, or if there was a deeper, underlying emotion.

The girl knew it was wrong of her to think in such ways, but Bel was really the only person she had grown attached to on an emotional level. She had her parents, but they were distant. There was her cousin, Mukuro, but he and _his _parents were the black sheep of the family. She had more of a babysitter relationship with Rasiel who was closer to Squalo, and apart from them, there really wasn't anyone else in her life.

"Does that mean Mammy will let me?" Bel grinned as he licked at his ice cream, excited; he had often seen Squalo and Xanxus kiss each other, and it had always made him wonder what it would be like if _he _kissed someone.

"Where no one can see." Mammon shrugged. "I can get in very big trouble otherwise."

Bel nodded, understanding what his friend was saying. He was quick to eat his ice cream, watching as Mammon finished hers at a decent pace.

Part of the boy was nervous about what he had suggested, but excited as well; he could only hope it would be better than the kisses he and Rasiel had been forced to share with each other.

_**~~XX~~**_

After they ate ice cream, saw two different movies – Bel had gotten bored just five minutes into the first one and wanted to see a different showing – and did some shopping, they had stopped at the park. It was usually a quiet park, away from the busy streets, and the best thing about it was that, right now, the only people in it were Bel and Mammon.

Mammon sat down on the park bench, patting her lap. Bel grinned as he sat on her, his legs folding by her sides. He wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his forehead against Mammon's as his obscured eyes stared intently at the older teenager's lips.

The female put her hands on Bel's hips, holding the quivering boy still. "Do you know what you're doing, Bel?"

Bel nodded, grinning to himself. He pressed his lips forward, brushing against Mammon's experimentally before crushing them against pale ones. Mammon reached up, curling her fingers in Bel's blond locks to pull him closer to her.

The girl opened her mouth as she snaked her tongue out to lick at her friend's lips. Bel parted instantly with a small gasp, as if he had been taken by surprise. He didn't reject her actions, instead brushing his own tongue shyly against Mammon's, trying to join a dance he didn't know the steps to.

The taste of candy was overwhelming as Mammon brushed her tongue across every inch of the younger's mouth. She tried to coax the shy tongue back into her own warm cavern, finally succeeding as the boy pushed his front against hers.

Bel whimpered in delight, tasting a miny flavour as he tried to mimic Mammon's previous actions. However, his lungs weren't as strong as the girl's, and he had to pull back for air.

"Did you like that?" Mammon ran her hand through silky blond locks.

Bel nodded, still trying to catch his breath. He had loved it, though he still didn't quite understand what Squalo was talking about when the man had said it was an act of love; he loved Mammon, but he wasn't sure if he loved her in the same way Squalo and Xanxus loved each other.

"Can we do it again?" Bel's smile was so innocent, Mammon couldn't help but agree.

This time, as their lips locked and tongues danced together, Bel's fingers crept down Mammon's side. Bel eventually pulled away, moving his mouth to Mammon's neck. He sucked on it in the same manner he had seen his guardians do, wondering if he would experience more of the warm feeling.

Mammon moaned softly, tilting her head to the side to give Bel more room. She knew she should stop it from going further, but this was the kind of feeling she could only imagine previously.

When the girl felt sharp teeth bite down at her neck, she finally pushed the boy away, not wanting her parents to notice the mark and question her about it.

"That's enough, Bel." Mammon wiped the saliva away from her neck, knowing that Bel really hadn't known any better; the boy was just curious, which was exactly why they had done this in the first place.

Bel was grinning proudly to himself as he sat back on Mammon's lap, his hidden eyes sparkling with joy. He couldn't be sure, but he was thinking he was finally starting to understand why Squalo always made a big deal out of Xanxus being affectionate.

Mammon, however, was just thinking that she deserved quadruple the amount of money this time around. __


	12. Chapter 12

**You'll meet Mammon's parents in this chapter, but they're really not important enough to name. They probably won't make another appearance anyway. **

Once the twins had turned sixteen, Squalo started giving them more freedom, knowing that the twins were old enough to take care of themselves. While Rasiel stuck close to Squalo on any given day, Bel was more independent, and often spent copious amounts of time somewhere with Mammon. While the two had made it a habit of making out with each other, they had never gone further or even put an official title on their relationship.

Bel didn't mind; he just liked the warm feeling he got in his chest from kissing Mammon.

The two were currently at Mammon's home, sitting in the girl's bedroom together. Mammon was as stingy as ever, her obsession with money preventing her from doing much with her bedroom. There was a bed pressed against the wall, a blind for the window that sat next to it, and a cheap laptop she had talked her parents into buying for her to 'deal with money over the internet' sat on an even cheaper desk against the wall opposite the bed.

The two were talking happily as they lay on Mammon's bed, the boy pressed against his best friend while her hand threaded through his silky blond locks slowly. They kissed every now and then, but as usual, nothing further happened – if it was going to, it couldn't now as Mammon had been summoned downstairs by her mother calling her down.

Mammon sighed as she pushed Bel away. "Coming, Bel?"

Bel nodded, his bare feet crossing the floorboards as silently as a trained assassin. He had always been curious as to why Mammon still lived with her parents when she was twenty – but then again, it was probably because she didn't want to spend money on rent or anything of the like.

Bel playfully jumped some of the steps on the way down, giggling to himself as he did so. Mammon could only roll her eyes; Bel wasn't right in the head, and it wasn't just because he had the maturity of a three-year-old.

"There you are, Viper." Mammon's parents were both short, her mother's long hair indigo like hers. Her father was bald, and both adults were quiet, much like Mammon was. "Look who's here to visit."

Bel was standing behind Mammon, but at these words, he stepped out, looking at a blue-haired male sitting on the vanilla couch, heterochromatic eyes shining as a playful smile crossed his face. Bel tilted his head, not sure what to think.

The blond was about to question who this was before a head of teal hair poked up from beside the other male, teal eyes looking around curiously.

"Mukuro." Mammon nodded at the other male calmly, her own hidden eyes looking at the tiny boy seated next to her cousin. "Who is that?"

Bel didn't like the teenager named Mukuro. There was just something about him he didn't like. If he were a cat, he would have bristled as the other laughed.

"Kufufu~" The teenager – Mukuro – reached out, pulling his companion onto his lap. "This is my new foster brother, Fran."

Bel recalled Mammon telling him that her cousin had been removed from his neglectful parents, though as far as he knew, the other's situation hadn't been like his. The last he had heard, Mukuro had been placed with a foster family and then contact between the two cousins had become distant.

The boy named Fran looked around at everyone, only having recently been placed with his new parents. He was still getting used to Mukuro, and it made him a bit nervous to have to stay with the other in a house he wasn't used to and with people he didn't know.

When the teal-haired boy opened his mouth, the first words that spilled from the tiny cavern were, "You all look like a bunch of tooth decay fungi."

Bel hissed, trying to approach the boy, but Mammon held him back. "You little shit!"

Mukuro laughed, and while Mammon's parents were aware of the fact that Bel was unstable, they weren't appreciative of the blond's aggression towards a little boy.

"Viper, control your friend or he has to leave." The girl's mother moved towards her nephew, kneeling down in front of the couch to talk to Fran.

"Why are _they _here?" Bel turned to pout at Mammon, hating the idea of having to share his best friend. "I don't _like _them!"

"Their foster parents have to go away for a few days on work," the bald man explained, eyeing Bel with distaste. "They're going to stay with us until they come back."

Bel made an agitated noise before he wrapped his arms around Mammon, sending a glare towards the newcomers. Mammon just patted his head before she turned around and climbed the stairs again.

"Mammy, wait up!" Bel chased after her, pouting all the while. He didn't like Mukuro _at all, _and that kid was a _brat!_

The girl stopped as she waited for Bel to catch up to her. She was silent until they reached her bedroom again, shutting the door behind them.

"No bullying while they're here, Bel," Mammon said as she resumed her position on the bed. "My parents will kick you out again. I don't know what the kid's story is, so leave him be."

"But I _hate _the stupid pineapple, and that kid is a stupid little brat!" Bel argued, stomping his foot on the ground. "I don't _want _them here!"

Mammon sighed, patting the spot beside her. "They probably won't bother you, Bel; Mukuro just listens to music in the spare bedroom when he's here."

The blond let out his own sigh. He climbed back onto the bed, curling up beside his best friend. He rested his head on her chest, listening to the soft beating of her heart in contentment.

"I don't want to share my Mammy with anyone..." Bel muttered, closing his eyes.

"I know." Mammon stroked Bel's back, threading her fingers through blond hair. "I know, Bel."

Bel didn't say anything further; he just closed his eyes and let sleep wash over him.

_**~~XX~~**_

Bel's eyes opened next to someone shaking his shoulder. His first thought was that it was Mammon, but when he realised that the fingers on his shoulders were far too small to be the girl's, he blinked, taking in the sight before him; that stupid little kid was shaking him.

"Don't _touch _me!" Bel snapped as he sat up, pulling the blankets over his body as if to prevent the younger from touching him.

Fran seemed unfazed; he instead tilted his head, his teal eyes staring curiously. "I was told to wake you up, so I did. Tooth decay fungi should be grateful towards me."

Bel just grit his teeth, shaking his head. "Why the fuck didn't _Mammon _wake me up?"

"She was busy." Fran looked at the ground, sighing as if he were bored. "I want to go home..."

Bel wasn't empathetic to those words, despite knowing how that felt. He instead just threw the covers off his body and stood up, moving towards the doorway. He was aware of the fact that Fran didn't follow him, but he didn't think on it; he didn't want to.

Downstairs, Bel found everyone else seated at the table already, waiting for the last two guests to join them. There were two open seats between Mammon and Mukuro, leaving the adults to eat across from the others.

As expected, Bel sat next to Mammon, frowning as he looked at Mukuro. The blue-haired teenager just laughed as he adjusted his green jacket, one that Bel noticed was part of a school uniform. The mist patterned shirt beneath it wasn't, but come to think of it... Fran was wearing similar clothing, ones that were too big on him.

"Why are you wearing school clothing when it's not even a weekday?" Bel literally spat the words out, metaphorically fluffing his fur in aggression.

"It's a fetish." Mukuro shrugged, his playful smile never faltering in the least. Bel scrunched his nose up before he turned to look at his plate of food, knowing Mammon's family well enough to know that they were required to wait for Fran to join them.

When the boy did eventually come downstairs, he looked as if he were lost. His eyes conveyed distance, and his actions were slow and uncoordinated.

"Are you okay, Fran?"

It wasn't until Mammon's mother spoke did Fran blink and take notice of where he was. He nodded as he sat down in between Mukuro and Bel, reaching out instinctively for his plate of food.

"No!" The balding man scolded, hitting the table he sat at.

Fran jumped and pulled away from his food as if it had burnt him, now-teary eyes looking up at Mukuro. The teenager wrapped his arms around Fran, holding him, resting his chin in teal hair. The boy hugged back, whimpering into the older male.

Mammon just rolled her eyes at her father's behaviour while Bel ignored it completely, fingering the tip of his phone in annoyance; he hated eating with Mammon's family because they were insistent on giving thanks before the meal was even _glanced _at.

"We always say grace before we eat," the older woman explained in a calm voice. "It's very rude to eat without saying it."

"We don't do that at home," Mukuro said in a silky voice, his heterochromatic eyes glinting with what Bel _knew _was malice; he himself as a bully could recognise those kinds of things. "We just _eat_."

"And you're not at _your _home now, are you, Mukuro?"

Bel could remember Mammon's cousin once being described as the black sheep of the family; while Mammon seemed to interact well enough with the younger, it was clear that her parents disliked him a great amount – and that negativity seemed to have bounced onto Fran as well.

While the blond wasn't one to care much for other peoples' situation, he _did _wonder what Mukuro had done to be disliked by his family.

Once they had said grace – Mammon and Bel only ever went along with it, neither of them seeing the point in doing so – they started to eat. Fran picked at his food, while Mukuro ate calmly. Bel and Mammon talked quietly amongst themselves in between mouthfuls, and the two adults across from them paid the younger ones no heed.

Bel – despite his dislike towards Fran – found it quite unreasonable the boy had been yelled at merely for getting off his seat silently with the intent to go to the bathroom. He again became teary eyed, seeking comfort from Mukuro, while Mammon's mother ranted about something or other that Bel wasn't interested in at all; he honestly knew he was lucky for having the guardians he had who didn't treat him like shit like _these two _could.

When Mukuro eventually excused himself to take Fran upstairs and to the bathroom, Bel watched them go, glaring as he did so. He didn't trust the younger teenager with the kid, something in his heart telling him it would lead to no good. Maybe it was the air of ill-intent that seemed to waft around Mukuro like a bad smell, but there was just something about the other teenager Bel _hated_.

"Eat your food, Bel."

Bel shrugged as he picked his fork back up, stabbing away his frustration. He _really _didn't like any of Mammon's family.

_**~~XX~~**_

After sending a text to Squalo and telling the man he was staying the night at his friend's house, Bel curled back up by Mammon's side. They were downstairs, watching the TV. Mukuro and Fran sat on the floor in front of them, the teal-haired boy curled up to Mukuro in a similar fashion.

It was a reality TV show, something or other playing, but Bel had little interest in it; he was more focused on drawing random patterns with his fingertips against Mammon's hip.

"Mammy~" Bel sidled closer to the girl, grinning up at her. "Mammy, you should be my girlfriend~ I'm old enough now to start dating – Squalo told me so~"

Mammon laughed softly at Bel's reasoning. "You don't listen to him any other time, Bel. Why now?"

"Because I wasn't ready for that stuff before, but I am now." Bel, ever mindful of Mammon's conservative parents and their religion, checked his surroundings before he kissed his friend on the lips.

"Tell Squalo to pay me next month's salary in advance and I will." Mammon shrugged, wrapping her arms around her friend's skinny waist. "Just keep it from my parents or we'll never hear the end of it."

Bel grinned as he nodded, sitting on the girl's lap as he rested his head on her chest. He giggled as he listened to her steady breathing, just happy to be with her.

Mukuro seemed to have paid no attention to the two older ones, his eyes glued to the TV as he absentmindedly threaded fingers through teal hair, one arm wrapped around Fran's waist, holding him close.

"Master, I'm tired..."

Bel shuddered at the title Fran referred to Mukuro as. Part of him wondered if it was something Fran had come up with himself, or if the pineapple-headed bastard had told him to call him that. Either way, it made him feel disgusting.

"Oh, are you?" Mukuro pulled Fran closer to him. "You should go to sleep. It's past your bedtime."

Fran pulled himself onto Mukuro's lap, doing as told. Bel scrunched his nose up before he bit down on Mammon's clothed shoulder, gnawing at her in anxiety; it was something Mammon had long-since gotten used to, and it never bothered her, knowing it was an outlet for his stress.

"What's bothering you, Bel?" Mammon whispered, bringing her hands up to hold the blond's shoulders.

"Stupid pineapple and his dumb sidekick..." Bel sighed. "I don't trust him..."

"Who?"

"The pineapple... I _don't _like him, Mammy..."

"He really _is _harmless, Bel. Don't worry."

Bel just nodded, biting down harder at his new girlfriend's shoulder.

"We should be getting ready for bed anyway." Mammon checked her watch before she pushed Bel so she could get to her feet. "Did you bring pyjamas?"

Bel shook his head as he stood up. "Nope~ Can I sleep with Mammy again~? She's so warm to cuddle with~"

Mammon hummed as she led the younger upstairs. Bel followed behind eagerly, loving the nights he could spend with Mammon; he liked it best when he could sleep beside her and feel so safe and loved as she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.


	13. Chapter 13

When Bel woke up for breakfast the next morning, he sighed as he tried to push himself away from Mammon. The girl was awake, rolled onto her back as she played with her phone with one hand, the other caressing blond hair.

"I'm hungry..." Bel gave up trying to escape the other's embrace and instead rested his head on her chest, wincing as he felt a familiar stickiness in his pants. "Mammy..."

"What is it?" Mammon threw her phone down onto the bed beside them, running her free hand through her indigo locks; the only times she went without her usual black hood was when she slept or showered.

"..." A red tint crossed Bel's face before the boy hid his face in the crook of Mammon's neck and shoulder. He shook his head, not wanting to admit it.

Mammon, however, was smart enough to know what the problem was. "It's okay, Bel; it's natural."

"It's embarrassing..." Bel shook his head again in disagreement. "I don't have any other clothes with me, either..."

"Just go into the bathroom and clean yourself up," Mammon suggested. "Leave the door unlocked and I'll slip in and clean your pants for you. Okay?"

Bel nodded, knowing it was better than going downstairs and getting screamed at for things he couldn't control; it wasn't the first time he had had a wet dream while staying at Mammon's house – but the time he had been sleeping with Mammon when her father came in to wake them up and found them in the same bed with Bel's morning wood obvious took the cake; he hadn't been allowed to visit again until Squalo paid them a visit and 'sorted it out'.

Reluctantly, Bel let go of Mammon. He slid his feet onto the hardwood floor, opening the door a crack to poke his head out; he didn't want to be seen like this. No one was around, so Bel's feet made soft padding sounds as he hurried to the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind him in his haste.

Mammon shook her head as she went downstairs and told her parents Bel was having a shower. She was questioned for several minutes over it, but she had learnt it ignore it and instead tell them she was finishing homework for her university classes. She knew her parents wouldn't bother her with that excuse, so heading back upstairs, she opened the door to the bathroom and entered, locking it behind her.

"Do you mind hurrying up in there?" Mammon grabbed the clothing Bel had discarded carelessly on the ground, taking them over to the sink. "Showers cost money, you know."

"It's not your money that pays for it," Bel called back, steam wafting from the shower steadily.

"It's still money in the end." The girl grabbed the bar of soap that sat on the sink, rubbing it over the shiny stains on the inside of Bel's pants. She rolled her eyes as she watched Bel lather shampoo onto his hand through the glass door, knowing he was taking advantage of his time in the shower. "You're a brat."

"And you're a pervert for watching me shower." Bel turned to look over his shoulder, frowning at the girl. "We haven't done anything more than kissing and you're already seeing me naked."

"You'll get the privilege another day," the indigo-haired girl replied. "Just hurry up."

Bel sighed, doing as he was told; he had already cleaned up what he wanted, and he just had to wash the shampoo from his hair before he could get out.

Mammon scrubbed hard against the stains, finally making progress. She heard the taps turn off and the glass door open as Bel stepped out, water dripping off his skinny body. She had seen her friend naked several times before when he was younger and needed help bathing, but it had been a few years since then. The blond was still so skinny, he had a fragile appearance, and the scars from previous abuse still marred his skin, faded with time, replaced instead by ones that had been made during suicide attempts; while Bel wouldn't appear suicidal to a lot of people, he had, on several occasions, tried to take his own life.

"Are you just going to stand there and get the floor wet, or are you going to wrap a towel around yourself?"

Bel giggled as he moved to the towel rack, wrapping one around his frail body. He moved closer to Mammon, wrapping his arms around her neck, as he watched her work over her shoulder. He felt a bit bad about making her clean up his mess, but he was so used to having Squalo and Rasiel do everything for him, he wasn't entirely sure of _how _to do it.

"Does Mammy feel bad for cleaning up after me?" Bel rubbed his cheek against the girl's, hoping she wasn't _too _mad at him.

"No, Bel." The girl shrugged, her hands never faltering. "It's a natural thing. Don't worry so much."

Bel smiled, just glad that his friend was so supportive of him. "When Mammy and I get a house together, Mammy can look after me some more~"

"You'd better be the one paying the bills if that's the case." Mammon pulled her hand away, knowing that the stains hadn't completely been removed, but that it would be comfortable enough for Bel to wear again. "Get me the hair dryer, Bel."

Bel tilted his head in curiosity as he did as he was told. He handed over the device, watching as the female plugged it in and turned it onto his pants, blowing them dry.

The boy didn't like loud noises; he frowned and put his hands over his ears, trying to block it out. Mammon ignored this behaviour, knowing it was something the other could handle.

Instead, Mammon reached out, grabbing the back of Bel's towel and pulling him close to her. She raised the hair dryer to blond hair, running her fingers through it as she did so, standing up and walking over to the counter across from her to grab the comb resting by the porcelain sink.

Bel smiled as he leant into his friend, letting out a content sigh as the hair dryer was turned off and a comb started moving through his hair. "I love it when Mammy does my hair~"

Placing the comb down beside her, Mammon pulled the towel from the younger's body, ignoring Bel's startled, 'Oi!' and used it to dry blond hair. She then handed the material back to her friend as she picked up the comb again, finishing off Bel's hair.

If Bel were a cat, he would be purring in delight.

_**~~XX~~ **_

Downstairs, Mammon and Bel sat together as always, while Mukuro and Fran sat beside them. The two adults appeared to be in a foul mood for one reason or another, sending filthy glares at the three youngest in the room.

Bel glared back at them, knowing he could get away with it as his eyes were covered. Fran seemed to cower at their behaviour, his hands in his lap as he stared downwards. Mukuro ignored his family, instead talking to his foster brother and trying to coax him into eating.

"I want to go home, Mammy..." Bel sighed as he dropped his fork, hating the adults' immature behaviour; if they had a problem with him, he wanted them to say it outright and to _fight _him.

Mammon sighed as she nodded, knowing it would be for the better; Bel was gnawing at her shoulder again, and she didn't want him to start anything.

"I'll take you home." Mammon pushed her food away, ignoring her parents scolding her. Bel stood up, growling to himself as they started on _him _next; his first instinct was to bite back, but with Mammon tugging him along impatiently, he knew better.

"I hate your family, Mammy." Bel huffed to himself as he crossed his arms against his chest. "I _hate _them!"

"I know you –"

"-W-wait!"

The two stopped at Fran's voice, the boy's tiny feet making soft noises as they carried him as fast as they could to the two older ones. The teal-haired boy was looking sad as he moved to Mammon's side, wrapping his tiny arms around her leg; while Mammon herself was small, even for a female, Fran was absolutely _tiny_.

Bel snarled as he witnessed someone _else _hugging _his _Mammy, but one look from the girl stopped him from saying anything. He fumed inside as his girlfriend patted teal hair, hating the way she knelt down and asked what was wrong.

"I-I want to come..." Fran buried his face in the girl's chest, lifting his arms to wrap around her neck now that he could reach. "I don't like them... They're mean..."

Bel was agitated as he stomped his foot and pouted, not wanting the stupid brat to go with them. "Mammy...!"

"It's okay, Bel." Mammon lifted Fran up so that she was carrying the boy. "He can come for a drive."

Bel muttered to himself as he pouted, hoping that he would at least still get the front seat – he wasn't going to back for some stupid little _shit_.

_**~~XX~~**_

The drive back to Bel's home wasn't all that far away, but Mammon drove slow so that it would take longer; she really didn't want to go back home, and she was having a nice time talking to the two boys; Fran was weird – _very _weird – but he was sweet all the same.

"How old are you, Fran?" Mammon asked, knowing that her friend wasn't liking her kindness towards the teal-haired kid.

"Seven." Fran was looking out of the window, watching the houses go by him.

Mammon nodded to herself as she turned the corner and onto Bel's street. "Almost there, Bel."

Bel sighed, wishing Mammon wasn't so nice – he _hated _watching her interact with someone else the same way she did with him; Mammon was _his_.

Just a minute later, once Bel was out of the car and walking up the driveway to his home, he was sure of one thing; he _resented _that stupid little brat for getting Mammon's attention when it was rightfully _his_.


	14. Chapter 14

For three weeks now, Bel and Mammon had been in an official relationship. While Squalo and Xanxus were supportive of this, Mammon's parents had done nothing but scream and act as if their daughter was thirteen and out sleeping with everyone. The girl just ignored it, her mind focused on both Bel and her precious money.

The two were on their way back to Bel's house, having been out for lunch together; Mammon was driving them, having borrowed her parents' car as she didn't want to 'waste' any money on one of her own. Bel was talking his girlfriend's ear off about the newest videogame Squalo had bought him, Mammon inputting every now and then about how videogames were a waste of money.

"But this one is really cool!" Bel insisted childishly. "It has awesome graphics and an awesome plotline and lots and lots of blood!"

Beneath her hood, Mammon rolled her eyes. "I would have thought Squalo knew better than to buy you bloody videogames, Bel."

"But I don't like boring games." The blond boy pouted, trying to win Mammon over. "I don't like things without blood."

"You're a very weird child." Mammon knew that, since Bel still suffered from the trauma induced by his childhood, it wasn't exactly normal for him to be obsessed with blood and violence the way he was - instead, it was as if he continuously sought it out, always wanting to witness it happening to other people. "How does Squalo put up with you?"

"He loves me." Bel shrugged nonchalantly, as if the conversation didn't bother him in the least anymore. "He bought me some new movies, too. Does Mammy want to watch them with me?"

The girl checked her watch before deciding she had nothing better to do; she may as well indulge in Bel's guilty pleasures for a while longer before she went home to manage her finances again.

"Guess so." Mammon pulled into the driveway of Bel's home. She pulled the handbrake up and turned the engine off, grabbing only her phone; she hadn't brought anything else with her as she always left her ID in the car and never took money with her unless she needed it.

Bel giggled as he closed the car door behind him, bounding over to the front door. He pulled his keys from his pocket, unlocking the door and waiting for Mammon to reach him; while everyone else was home, Rasiel felt safest with the front door locked.

"Squ-Squ, I'm home~!" Bel was as joyful as ever as he made his presence known. "Mammy is with me~"

"Keep your voice down, brat!" Squalo shouted back from the living room. "Your brother is napping!"

"And you're shouting even louder than the blond trash." Xanxus' gruff voice could be heard from the same general direction as Squalo's.

While Squalo started raging at his lover, Bel just giggled and turned his attention again to Mammon.

"Let's go to the cinema room~" Bel grabbed his girlfriend's hand, pulling Mammon into the room that had originally been the spare living room, but had been turned into a cinema room for the twins to use. "That's where I keep all my stuff~"

Mammon followed Bel down the hall, knowing exactly where she was going, but letting Bel lead her anyway; the boy had a dominate streak, and he usually threw a fit if he felt like he were submitting.

"What are we watching first?" Mammon flicked the light switch once they stepped into the cinema room.

Bel giggled as he moved to the entertainment system, sorting through his stack of DVDs. "Don't know yet~"

Mammon moved to the couch, sitting as she waited patiently for Bel to decide what he was in the mood for. It didn't take too long before eventually a movie was placed in the DVD player and Bel was curling up against her, his head in her lap as usual.

The two were quiet throughout the movie but, around the midway point, Bel was becoming restless; he had become aroused earlier, and no matter how hard he tried to will it away, it was starting to hurt from neglect. Now was one of the many times he wanted to have sexual contact with Mammon, but part of him remembered the abuse he had suffered, fearing that if he went any further with Mammon, it would be no different than to what he had been put through by his father's hands.

Mammon, however, could _see _Bel's problem; the blond's pants were tented and Bel was shifting his lower half as if trying to find a more comfortable position. Her hands never stopped as they stroked silky locks, but when she spoke, it was in a soft, understanding tone.

"Do you want me to help you, Bel?"

Bel blinked, rolling onto his back to look up at Mammon. He frowned, wary on her offer; her hands had never hurt him before, but what if they did now?

"I won't hurt you." As always, Mammon knew what was on the younger's mind. "It will feel good for you."

Hesitantly, Bel nodded. He winced as he felt hands on the front of his pants, unzipping them, having not felt anyone else's hands on his crotch since he was taken away from his father. He let out a soft moan as he was exposed to the cold air, closing his eyes as he tried to will his fear away.

Mammon's soft hands wrapped around the hard shaft, taking note of its size; while Bel was still a growing boy, he was fairly large for a sixteen-year-old. His length wilted slightly, and it pulsed in her hand. All-in-all, she liked it.

"What do you like, Bel?" Mammon asked, wanting to make it as good as she could for her soon-to-be lover.

"...Slow..." Bel replied, squeezing his eyes shut tight as pleasure washed over him. "...Slow... Then hard and fast... And slow again..."

Mammon nodded. Twisting her wrist, she brought her hand up along the shaft, caressing it gently as she took her time in reaching the very tip of the boy's member. Bel was moaning loudly, his upper body twisting as pleasure he wasn't accustomed to assaulted him.

"M-mammy..." Bel reached upwards, gripping at indigo hair as he started panting. "...Mammy..."

Mammon continued her slow pace, using her thumb to rub against the tip. Pre-cum was already leaking down the length, and the girl eased a tad more out of Bel.

"F-fuck..." Bel threw his head to the side as he whimpered; while he masturbated on occasion, it wasn't something he did all the time – never before had touching himself felt as good as it did now. "M-mammy...!"

Mammon quickened her pace, pumping the shaft with more strength. Bel continued to cry out, his hips rocking as he felt the coil in his stomach begin to snap.

"Mammy... Can't..." Bel cried out as he thrust his hips forward near-aggressively, unable to hold back any longer. "...C-coming...!"

Mammon caressed blond hair as she pulled Bel into his release; sticky white fluids shot out of the tip, staining Bel's favourite purple-and-black striped shirt as well as the girl's black jacket. Bel panted heavily as he came down from his high, never before having felt as good as he did now.

Mammon couldn't deny that touching Bel so intimately had turned her on; she shifted her thighs as she felt her own liquid wet her underwear – she would never ask for Bel to return the favour, however, so it was something she'd just deal with.

After a few minutes, once Bel had calmed down, he looked up at his girlfriend, hidden eyes calculating. He rolled over so that he lay on his stomach, his chin resting on Mammon's thigh.

"...Does Mammy need help, too...?" Bel whispered.

"You don't have to." Mammon never ceased to pet Bel's head, understanding that giving might be harder than receiving for Bel. "Only if you want to."

Bel nodded. He reached out with shaking hands – whether they were shaking from his previous orgasm or nerves, Mammon wasn't sure – and lowered the black skirt, revealing underwear just as black.

The boy looked up for reassurance, to which Mammon was only too happy to give. "It's okay, Bel. It's okay."

Bel nodded. He pushed the underwear down, taking in the sight before him; he had never watched porn before, or so much as looked at naked pictures, so this was the first time he saw a girl's lower half naked.

In curiosity, the boy pressed a finger past the wet folds, curious as to why there was no hair on Mammon's private parts like his own neatly-trimmed blond patch. Mammon took a deep breath, holding herself still so that she wouldn't make Bel more nervous than he already was.

Bel pulled his finger in and out a few times before he added another one, burying them knuckle-deep. He looked up at Mammon, a blank expression on his face.

"Am I doing this right...?" Bel frowned as he pulled his fingers out, wishing he could make Mammon moan.

The girl shook her head. "I thought Squalo gave you the talk?"

"He did, but..." Bel sighed.

Mammon reached out, grabbing Bel's hand. She guided it back to her own sex, making sure his index finger rested on her clit. "This is how you pleasure girls, Bel. Just rub that spot there."

Bel nodded, his finger moving uncertainly. "Like this?"

Mammon nodded, letting out a small moan. "That's good. A bit faster, Bel."

Bel held his breath as he continued rubbing the spot he had been instructed to. He gathered up his courage, moving his face close enough so that his exposed tongue brushed against the hot skin beneath his fingers.

"Shit..." Mammon instinctively reached out, gripping blond locks. "Just like that..."

Bel moved closer, replacing his fingers with his tongue. Mammon moaned louder, letting Bel work at his own pace; she couldn't ask more of him than what he was giving now – it couldn't be easy for him to do this after everything he had been through.

The boy slipped his digits back inside Mammon as he nibbled at his girlfriend, licking again in mock apology. Mammon moaned as she dug her nails into Bel's scalp, feeling as if she was going to reach her limit already; she had always been fast as reaching her climax, unlike the majority of other females, and finally having this moment with Bel made it better than she had ever imagined.

"Bel..." Mammon shivered as she felt her own orgasm hit her, her insides clenching as her body started to tremble. She whimpered quietly as her sex convulsed a few more times before it settled down, leaving her breathless. "...Bel, that's enough..."

Bel pulled away, obscured eyes looking up at his girlfriend in curiosity. "Did I do good?"

Mammon panted heavily as she nodded. "Very good. Good boy."

Bel giggled as he moved to sit on Mammon's lap, their movie long forgotten. He curled in against her, sighing happily, ignoring the half-naked and dirty states they were in; he just wanted to be close to Mammon.

"Mammy, I love you..." With that said, Bel's eyes slipped closed and he was fast asleep. Mammon just held him tighter, placing a kiss on the corner of his lips.


	15. Chapter 15

It seemed that just when Bel would think he had gotten rid of Fran, the little brat would pop up again and again. However, every time this happened, Fran would become quieter, display a lack of emotions, and his snarky attitude would always be worse than ever.

Bel didn't know what to think, except that he hated that little shit.

Three years had passed, and Bel and Mammon were helping Mukuro move into his own home. For unknown reasons, Fran was going with him. Though Bel wasn't happy to be here, he had come when Mammon had asked him.

They had already moved in all of the boxes, and all that was left was to unpack and set everything up. Mammon and Bel were working in the kitchen, while Fran and Mukuro set up the two bedrooms.

"Why would the pineapple bastard let that stupid little shithead move in with him?" The blond male called over his shoulder as he restocked the pantry. "That's creepy."

"Maybe for the same reason you tried to get me to move in with you – while you were still living at _Squalo's _home." Mammon shrugged at her nineteen-year-old lover before continuing on with her task of wiping down the counters.

"I'll move out one day, Mammy~" Bel turned around, sending her a lopsided grin from across the room. "But seriously; don't you think it's a bit odd of the stupid pineapple bringing frog-boy with him?"

"No. I imagine he just wants company." The girl wasn't entirely sure of why Bel was finding this situation to be odd, but she didn't question it; she understood enough to know that, though her boyfriend was a genius, he was naive when it came to relationships of any kind. "It's not your problem, Bel."

Bel nodded, throwing his now-empty box away. He moved onto the next one, wishing he could go home; he didn't want to be here, and he was sure that he was missing out on a delicious dinner cooked by Lussuria, who was visiting again.

Instead, the boy tried to change the subject, wanting to distract himself from the idea that, if he were to kill Fran and Mukuro here and now, there would be no reason for him to stay – he knew Mammon wouldn't like it if he did that, so he controlled himself.

"Is Mammy coming back to my home when we're done here?" Bel sounded hopeful, his obscured eyes sparkling.

"If you want me to." Mammon, who had finished cleaning all of the surfaces, started on her own boxes.

While the two chatted for a few minutes longer, Fran wandered out, a dazed expression on his face. Mukuro wasn't with him, and Bel had a feeling that the younger male wouldn't be here if Mukuro had noticed his disappearance.

"Are you okay, Fran?" Mammon put down the cutlery she had been sorting through, moving to the ten-year-old's side. She placed the back of her hand against his forehead, only to find that his temperature was normal.

Fran blinked a few times before he nodded, leaning in against Mammon so that their chests rested together. He wrapped his arms around her, hiding his face against her throat.

Bel growled and threw the box of cereal he was holding to the ground, his first instinct to rip Fran away from her and kill him. However, he was stopped when Mammon shook her head at him, but he _resented _the way the girl's fingers caressed Fran's back and played with teal strands.

"Where's Mukuro?" Mammon asked. Neither she nor Bel noticed the way Fran shuddered at the name, as if it scared him just to hear it.

"..." Fran shook his head, trying to move closer to the girl.

Mammon, who didn't understand what was wrong with Fran, only tried to do the right thing. "Let's go find Mukuro. He'll be able to help you."

Fran trembled at these words, but he didn't protest; he went along quietly as he was guided out of the kitchen and back into the hallway he had come out of.

Bel just grit his teeth before he kicked the cardboard box as hard as he could, wishing it was Fran's face.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Thank you for the help tonight." Mukuro's trademark playful smile was on his face as he handed over a wad of cash to Mammon, his other arm snaked around Fran's tiny body in order to hold him close. "It is very much appreciated."

Bel was scowling as he looked anywhere but at the two younger males, and he _hated _to hear his girlfriend talk so civilly with them – he didn't care that Mammon and Mukuro were cousins; Mammon was _his_.

When at last Bel heard the front door to the house close, he turned to look at Mammon, frowning. "I hate them, Mammy..."

"I know you do, Bel." Mammon grabbed Bel's hand in hers, squeezing tightly. "Let's go home and cuddle now, okay?"

Bel smiled genuinely as he nodded; he loved cuddling with Mammon. He hummed to himself as they walked down the path to the car Squalo had bought Bel as a birthday present last year, the cold night air sending shivers down his back.

"Can we have sex, too?" Bel giggled to himself as he eagerly awaited the girl's response, only to forget his previous unhappiness as Mammon nodded. "I love having sex with Mammy~"

"I'm sure you do." Beneath her hood, Mammon rolled her eyes. "Drive careful, you idiot; it costs money to fix cars."

_**~~Mukuro's home~~**_

Fran trembled as he followed Mukuro back into his bedroom. He knew the older male wasn't happy with him for having wandered off earlier, and he knew what his punishment would be.

It was silent until they were in the boy's room, the door shut and locked. Fran was thrown onto his bed, the eighteen-year-old hovering above him threateningly.

"Did you say anything to them?" Mukuro hissed, his heterochromatic eyes burning.

Fran shook his head, cowering. "N-no, Master..."

Mukuro was good at deceiving; he deceived everyone around him on a daily basis – when it came to Fran, he knew exactly how to manipulate the younger into doing what he wanted and keeping it a secret.

Kneeling down, Mukuro hid his anger and smiled gently. He reached out, caressing Fran's face with his thumb for a minute before he leaned in close and claimed tiny lips with his own.

Pulling back, Mukuro whispered, "You're so beautiful, my little one."

Fran shuddered, knowing what was coming; Mukuro had started hurting him shortly after he met Bel and Mammon, and had continued to do it for all these years.

Closing his eyes, Fran looked away, just wanting to get it over with so that he could try and beat his insomnia and get some sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey, shithead."

Bel paused his videogame as he turned his head, finding Squalo standing in the doorway of the cinema room. Dropping his controller onto the couch, Bel grinned.

"Does Squ-Squ have ice cream~?" The blond rubbed his stomach before he giggled, getting up to walk over to his guardian. Wrapping his arms around the man's chest in order to lean against Squalo, Bel smiled playfully. "I love ice cream~"

"I know you do, brat. Get off me." Squalo half-heartedly pushed the young man away from him, rolling his eyes. "I ran into the stupid Bucking Horse the other day."

"Ushishishi~" The blond male loved hearing stories about Squalo's friends – especially his fellow blond named Dino Cavallone; the man was the same age as Squalo, and the two had gone to school together. Dino was apparently _very _clumsy, and the silver-haired man had a plethora of stories about said clumsiness he often shared with the twins. "And~?"

"He asked how you and Siel are going." Squalo shrugged, as if what he was about to say wasn't a big deal. "He said that he owns a few empty townhouses, and offered one for you and one for Rasiel, free of rent."

Bel frowned at these words before he looked at the ground. He wasn't sure why this conversation was coming up between them as neither Squalo nor Xanxus seemed to mind if they didn't move out. Was it that... Squalo was sick of them...? Was that it? He wanted them to _leave..._?

"...I..." Bel moved back to the couch he had been sitting on. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, staring blankly ahead; he didn't want to leave Squalo's home because he was afraid of being alone – the only reason he pushed everyone away was because he was sick of being hurt, not because he didn't want anyone around him.

"Brat, you're making it seem like I'm fucking kicking you out." Squalo followed Bel further into the room, standing by the couch. He patted blond hair before he clarified, knowing he should have expected something like this; Bel had abandonment issues. Big ones. "All I'm saying is that you've been offered a home free of charge. You don't have to take it if you don't want to, but it's there nonetheless. You don't have to fucking leave unless you want to. Siel doesn't want to take it, either."

Bel tilted his head so that it rested against the older man's side. He hummed in reply before he said, "...If I _do _take it, I can bring Mammy with me...?"

"No shit. Fuck, you could bring a horde of homeless people with you for all the Bucking Horse would care, dumbass." Squalo moved to sit down beside Bel, pulling his phone from his pocket. "The offer's there, and you can take it whenever you want."

Bel nodded, grateful that he had such a good family. "Will Squ-Squ play some games with me?"

"Can't; Xanxus and I are going shopping with Luss." The older male ruffled blond hair in affection before he continued speaking. "Do you want to come with us?"

The skinnier male shook his head. "I'm good, Squ-Squ."

"Well, keep an eye on your brother." The long-haired man sighed at these words. "Call me if anything happens. There's spaghetti from last night in the fridge if you get hungry."

"What time will you be back?" Though Bel could cope without Squalo and Xanxus much better than Rasiel could, he still didn't like being away from them for too long, one of the main reasons Mammon spent more time at his home than he did hers.

"In a few hours, Bel. You'll be fine. I'll ring and check up on you soon."

Bel nodded. He said his farewells to his guardian before he took back his controller and started playing again, relaxed as he listened to the sounds of the adults' car starting and reversing out of the garage.

Curling up on the couch, Bel laid on his side as he continued to play games. He wasn't sure how much time had passed; only that he was flying through levels and the silence of the house was slowly bothering him.

The blond tried to remedy this by turning the television up louder, but it only made things worse.

When at last he couldn't take it anymore, the deafening stillness bringing back memories of isolation, Bel turned his game off and stood up, leaving the cinema room. He travelled upstairs to the bedroom that had once been shared between the twins but now belonged solely to Rasiel – once the boys started needing their own space, renovations had been done on the house so that Bel could have a room as well.

"Jill?" Bel pushed open the bedroom door, not bothering to knock; he knew there was really nothing he could walk in on Rasiel doing as his brother didn't have a sexual drive. Bel knew for a fact that Rasiel had never masturbated before, or pleasured himself in any way, and he didn't think that was going to change any time soon.

Rasiel stirred from where he had been curled up in his bed, the blankets tossed haphazardly over his scrawny body. He reached up, rubbing at his obscured eyes, before he sat on the bed, frowning at Bel.

"What...?" Rasiel was soft-spoken and straight to the point, same as always.

"Squ-Squ and Xanxus aren't home." Bel sighed as he slammed the door shut behind him. "I don't like it."

Rasiel nodded. He laid back down on the mattress, pulling the blankets over his head; while both twins had been diagnosed by mental health professionals as being depressed, anxious and traumatised, it was much more apparent in Rasiel, who stayed in bed most of the time and had a serious self-harming addiction.

Bel stomped his foot before he moved over to Rasiel's side, pulling the blankets away from his brother. He pouted before he childishly argued, "Pay attention to me!"

The older sibling ignored Bel's bratty attitude, instead giving in to what the other wanted. "Fine, Bel..."

"Will you make me a bowl of spaghetti? Squ-Squ said there's some left over in the fridge."

"Why can't _you _do it?" Rasiel was becoming agitated, but he loved his brother and didn't want to take it out on the younger – not when Bel was just being himself.

"Because I don't have to _do _anything." Bel grabbed Rasiel's black pyjama top, trying to pull him out of the bed. "I want _you _to do it!"

As much as Rasiel didn't want to, he did as he was demanded, not in the mood for one of Bel's temper tantrums; he knew that the sooner he got this done, the sooner he could go back to bed and try to escape from his torment.

Swinging his legs over the mattress, Rasiel sighed as he walked out of the room. His warm black pyjamas hid him in the darkness of the bedroom, the blind pulled down over the window and blocking out any possible light from the outside.

Bel followed behind, hating when he was left alone with Rasiel; even at nineteen – almost twenty-years-old – he felt that his twin still resented him, something he had felt from day one. Bel had often wondered what it would be like to get along with Rasiel, but if the slightly taller male hated him, Bel would give it back triple.

"Why don't you get dressed instead of lazing around all day in your pyjamas?" Bel questioned as they descended the stairs. "Even _I _am not that lazy."

Rasiel rolled his eyes, choosing to remain silent. He ignored Bel's criticisms as they stepped into the kitchen, just focusing on this one little task.

But as much as Rasiel didn't want it, the conflict that was about to arise due to the lack of spaghetti for _both _of them was inevitable.

Rasiel took the container out of the fridge and placed it on the bench before he got two bowls out of the cupboard. Bel watched eagerly as his brother tipped spaghetti into one bowl, only to frown at the miniscule amount – this was _exactly _why Bel knew his brother hated him.

"Jill, give me _more!_" Bel whined, pouting. "That's not even enough for a mouse!"

"Don't exaggerate, Belphegor." Rasiel tipped the remainder of the spaghetti into his bowl, a _much _smaller amount than Bel's. "That's all there is, and I want some, too."

"You're hogging it for yourself!" Bel screamed as he moved forward, trying to take the 'bigger' bowl for himself.

Rasiel tried to push his brother away, but Bel was a _very _violent person and had much more experience fighting than Rasiel did, despite the fact that the older twin was stronger.

Bel snarled as he put all of his weight into a shove that knocked Rasiel from his feet. The bowl of spaghetti fell from his hands, only to shatter against the kitchen tiles, before a loud smack sounded and Rasiel hit his head on the edge of the counter behind him.

Bel kicked at his brother, believing the now-still male to be faking an injury in order to catch him off guard. "Get up!" However, when a pool of blood started forming around the fallen blond's head, Bel knew Rasiel wasn't faking.

The younger twin whimpered as memories assaulted him, images of bloody pools inflicted by their parents flashing past his mind's eye.

Doing the first thing that came to his mind, Bel pulled his phone from his pocket and called Squalo. His hands started to tremble as he listened to the dial tone, unable to stop the ghostly whispers of his father's voice from echoing in his head.

"What's wrong, shithead?"

Bel closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. "S-squalo..."

The silver-haired man seemed to know instantly that something was wrong, as his tone became firmer and concern overrode any other emotion. "What's happened?"

"...B-b-blood... Blood... E-everywhere..." Tears leaked down Bel's cheeks as he let out an agitated scream, unable to _stop fucking remembering_. "N-no...! No more...!"

"Bel." Squalo muttered something to someone in the background before he addressed his charge again. "Bel. Tell me what's happened."

"J-jill..." Bel dropped to the ground, crouching over as he tried to will away the ghosts of his father's touches, the pain he had been so accustomed to lingering over his body. "Blood... Didn't mean to..."

"Why is there blood, Bel?" Squalo knew it had never been easy caring for the twins, but never before had he felt so helpless – he had never had the issue of trying to look after them over a _phone _before. "Who did what?"

"...Shoved him..." Bel cried harder as he tried to focus on Squalo's words, not wanting to think about his previous life. "Not moving... Scared..."

"Bel, take him to the hospital _now_." There was shuffling on the other end of the line before Squalo spoke again. "We'll meet you there. Take him to the hospital and wait for us."

"O-okay..." Bel dropped his phone to the floor before he moved to Rasiel's side. He pulled his brother into his arms, cradling him carefully, and moved to the front door. He left it hanging open as he carried his twin out to his car parked against the curb.

The younger blond panicked as he realised he didn't have his car keys; placing Rasiel onto the ground, leaning him against the silver car, Bel ran back inside. He returned just a minute later, pressing the button and unlocking the car as he closed the distance between him and the vehicle.

Bel couldn't help but cry as he tried desperately to focus on helping his brother and nothing else – but voices from the past weren't making this easy.

_**~~XX~~**_

Bel hated the looks he was given as he rocked back and forth in his seat, biting at himself as he waited for Squalo and Xanxus. He knew there was blood all over his skin and striped shirt, but that was the least of his problems; he needed Squalo, and he needed him _now_.

"Belphegor!"

Bel looked up at aforementioned male's name. He flinched as Squalo, Xanxus and Lussuria skidded to a halt in front of him, just wanting for today to end.

"Tell me _exactly _what happened, Belphegor!" Squalo was very stressed, but Bel hated him for yelling right now.

"Calm down, Squalo," Lussuria said softly, trying to diffuse his friend's anger; it wouldn't help at all in this situation. "He's just as upset as you are, dear."

Squalo ignored the older male, choosing instead to continue snapping at Bel. "Speak!"

Bel tensed his body before he tried to explain. "...Jill... was being selfish... He wouldn't share the spaghetti, and I wanted his bowl because it had more than mine... He wouldn't give it to me, and we fought over it... I don't remember what happened next; I just remember the blood..."

Squalo opened and closed his mouth wordlessly for a few seconds before he shook his head. "...You'd wanna hope there's good news to hear about your brother, or you're going to fucking cop it when we get home."

Bel nodded. "...I want... to go to Mammy's..."

Squalo shrugged as his mood softened, knowing it would do no good for Bel to remain here; though Bel had most likely been the one to initiate the fight, the younger twin really didn't know anything else. "I'll drive you. We'll go home so you can have a shower and change your clothes first."

Bel agreed, just too exhausted to argue.

_**~~XX~~**_

Once Squalo had gotten Bel showed and redressed, he then delivered him to Mammon's parents' home. Mukuro and Fran were visiting as well, but Bel could care less about them; he was too busy curled up on the couch with Mammon, crying his heart out. He was terrified of the idea of losing the brother he hated, and the thought that _he _had been the one to do that to Rasiel was hurting him. He couldn't stop unshakable memories and ghostly echoes, but Mammon was there to whisper to him and keep him safe.

While Mukuro mostly ignored the older male in favour of humming along to his iPod, Fran had gathered the courage to approach the two. He climbed up onto the couch beside Mammon, sending a wary glance at his guardian.

"What's wrong, Fran?" Mammon didn't protest as tiny arms wrapped around her; she instead untangled one of her own from her boyfriend and used it to pull Fran closer to her.

Fran couldn't stop his own tears from falling down his cheeks as he reached out with a shaking hand, using it to wipe away Bel's show of emotion.

Bel's breath hitched as he instinctively tensed, only to relax as the boy's baby-soft fingers ran against his skin. He eventually pressed closer to the hand, and when a tiny hand fisted his black jacket, he couldn't help but calm down, unsure of why the little kid being so close to him made him feel as if things would be okay.

"Feeling better, Bel?" Mammon leaned forward, placing her lips against the younger's as she ran a hand through silky blond locks.

Bel just nodded. He rested his head against Mammon's shoulder as he watched the little boy, eventually gathering the strength to caress teal strands. Just as the older male had, Fran leaned into the touch.

Fran sat on Mammon's lap, his back pressed against the girl's chest, but he was leaning so that his head was placed against Bel's chest, listening to the soft beating of the young man's heart. It soothed him, the warmth he received from the older ones vastly different to Mukuro's frightening presence.

Mammon held the two younger males, soothing them, until she eventually had them both sleeping against her. She noticed the glare Mukuro sent her way, but she ignored it; she had never been able to figure Mukuro out; one second the teenager could be pleasant, and then the next it was as if he wanted you dead.

However much her own cousin confused her, Mammon had never been able to see Mukuro in the light he truly was – if she had ever pondered why Fran's behaviour had become so strange, she had never even _considered _the idea that Mukuro may be hurting him.

Mukuro's immature behaviour didn't bother Mammon; all that mattered was that she had two boys here who needed her.

This was the kind of thing she didn't mind not getting paid for.


	17. Chapter 17

Bel's eyes opened the next morning to the sound of his ringtone. He was curled up on the couch with a blanket over him, no one else in sight. With a sigh, he pulled his phone from his pocket, finding the caller ID to be Squalo's.

Hitting the answer key, Bel pressed the phone to his ear. "Squ-Squ...?"

"Hey, brat..." Squalo sounded tired, as if he had been up all night. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." Bel yawned as he closed his eyes again, curling further into the blanket. "How's Jill?"

"He's okay. He woke up briefly when I got back to the hospital. He's awake now."

Bel nodded to himself before he tensed as something moved against him. He warily pulled the blankets up, only to scowl as he found Fran was sleeping soundly against him.

"Shithead?"

Bel blinked, ignoring the younger male. "I'm here. Is he going to come home?"

"Not for a few days; the doctors have to make sure there are no complications. We're going to stay here with him until he's ready to come back."

Bel sighed, absentmindedly threading his fingers through teal locks. "I still need to get my car from the hospital."

"No need; Xanxus and I took it home last night for you."

Bel nodded again, his eyes drooping closed; he was so tired, he wasn't in the mood for talking. "I'm going back to sleep, Squ-Squ... Talk soon."

"Alright, brat." The line went dead as Squalo ended the call.

Bel slipped his phone back into his pocket before he pulled the blankets back over his body, moving closer to Fran. He was too tired to care about anything at the moment, and right now, Fran's warm body was soothing to him.

The young man tried to go back to sleep, but he was awoken once again by Fran shifting against him, the younger mumbling something.

Cracking an eye open, Bel noticed the small boy was frowning, tears running down his cheeks.

"Frog?" The blond shook Fran's shoulder, snapping the younger into waking consciousness.

"B-bel-senpai...?" Fran trembled as he looked up at the blond. This wasn't usual behaviour, even for Fran, and Bel couldn't help but wonder what he could have done to upset the boy. "I... I want to go to Master now..."

"Why do you call him that?" Bel questioned, pulling Fran in against him so he couldn't leave – Fran wasn't going anywhere until he got answers. "That's creepy."

"He told me to call him that when I first came home..." Fran turned to look away, trying to wriggle out of the blond's arms.

Bel was far from stupid; he had sensed long ago that something about Mukuro was off, and he could only attribute Fran's ever-changing behaviour to the blue-haired teenager.

"What does he do to you, frog?" Bel growled, holding the boy tightly. He buried his face in teal hair as he felt the younger freeze, knowing he had been on to something all along. "I know something's not right."

Fran shook his head. "...You're wrong... He doesn't do anything to me..."

Bel snarled before he pulled one arm away. He moved it so that he could grip it with his free hand, pulling the sleeve of his striped shirt down far enough for Fran to see the scars he had inflicted upon himself in countless attempts at ending his life.

"I have those scars because of what my parents did to me." Bel shrugged. "When Squalo and Xanxus first took me home, I was scared and angry at everyone. A fucking shrink told me _I'm _not right in the head because of what _they _did."

Fran reached out with a shaking hand, pressing the tips of his fingers against the scars. His eyes looked up, searching for obscured ones, wanting to be able to see the emotion he couldn't feel.

At last, taking a deep breath, knowing that it must have taken a lot for Bel to show those scars, Fran whispered, "...Master does-"

"Fran!"

Addressed boy whimpered and pulled away at Mukuro's angry voice. He shuddered as familiar hands grabbed him and pulled him from Bel's arms, dropping his head as he submitted completely.

"We're going _home, _Fran." Mukuro's heterochromatic eyes shone with anger as he shook the younger violently. He turned to glare at Bel as he started pulling Fran along, only to stop as the older male got to his feet. "What do _you _want, Belphegor?"

"I want to know what the fuck you do to that kid." Bel clenched his hands by his sides, spitting his words. "How long were you fucking standing there for?"

"Long enough, you suicidal whore."

If there was one thing that was guaranteed to get a reaction out of Bel, it was being compared to a whore. He could put up with having his flaws pointed out and his suicidal behaviour commented on, but his sexual activities crossed the line – they were for no one but Mammon and himself to talk about.

Snarling, Bel charged forward, swinging a punch at the blue-haired teenager. He completely ignored the fact that Fran had been shoved out of the way and was now laying on the floor crying; all that mattered was ripping Mukuro's throat out with his bare hands.

The two males rolled all over the floor, screaming and punching as they each promised death and aimed for the lowest blows they could think of.

The ruckus drew in Mammon and her parents, the two adults pulling the boys apart while Mammon approached Fran, checking if he was alright or not.

Bel, however, was so worked up, he was blinded to the fact that he was no longer facing Mukuro, but two adults who would be only too happy to kick him out of the house and never let him come back.

"Stop it!" The balding man screamed as he tried to shake sense into Bel. "Shut up and sit down!"

Bel just continued to snarl, only able to see Mukuro, as he tried to fight the tight hold he was in and attack the nearest person to him.

Mammon seemed to be the only one who remained calm; she was moving Fran's arm carefully, only to determine that it was indeed broken as Fran whimpered and cried harder.

With a sigh, Mammon promised she would be back, moving to stand in front of Bel. She ducked, dodging a flying fist, before he leant up and placed her lips against his. It took a few seconds for Bel to register the contact but, once he had, he calmed down enough to cease the violence – he was still angry, and Mammon was sure he would be for a while.

"What happened, Bel?" Mammon slipped her hand into Bel's as she questioned what had just happened. "Why were you two fighting like that?"

"He called me a fucking whore!" Bel snapped, his hidden eyes burning with hatred. "He called me a _whore_, Mammy!"

"You've been fucked by both your father _and _brother – I daresay that's only what a whore does." Mukuro smirked as the older male started screaming at him again, struggling in his restraint.

Mammon sighed, reaching up to run a hand through blond locks. She said softly, only enough for Bel to hear, just glad the young man didn't notice her parents nodding in agreement with Mukuro. "You're not a whore, Bel. I know you're not a whore."

"So why does everyone treat me like I am...?" Bel sounded so defeated as he whispered back, it broke Mammon's heart. "I didn't... I never wanted to do those things with them..."

The girl knew that Bel, in the deepest recesses of his heart, _did _believe that he was a whore. He always felt dirty, ghostly touches lingering in his senses. Though he and Mammon had already had sex together, mere touching was more common than the complete act; only too many times had Bel been assaulted without warning by the memories, triggered by the things he was doing with Mammon – in their entire three-year relationship, he had been able to function well enough to orgasm during sex perhaps three or four times, not counting the times he was forced to stop in the middle of the act by things he just couldn't forget.

"I know, Bel." Mammon turned to her cousin, an authoritative tone in her voice now. "Why would you even bring that up, Mukuro?"

"Kufufu~" Mukuro pulled away from his aunty before he moved to Fran's side, pulling the shivering boy into his hold. He squeezed Fran's arm tight enough to bruise it, digging his nails in deep, a silent warning that he was going to be punished when they got home. "Why not? I bet he can't even get it up properly and you _still _insist on sleeping with him?"

Again, Mukuro was right, and Bel knew this. He dropped his head, trying to fight the trauma, before he called the younger out; he didn't want to be the only one copping it.

"While we're discussing taboo, mind telling us what it is you do to that brat? My brother almost died yesterday because of trash like you."

"Kufufu~" Mukuro was perceived as calm and relaxed by everyone in the room, confident that he had covered his tracks well enough to not be caught; Fran was obedient when it came to fear, after all. "Oya oya, I'd never do anything to my little one. Would I, Fran? Would I ever do anything to you?"

Fran shook his head, his eyes wide with fear. Bel was the only one to notice this. "No, Master... You're very good to me – you've never hurt me..."

"See?" Mukuro stood up, pulling Fran along with him. He looked down as the other yelped, trying to pull away as his broken arm was jerked. "Oh, little one, what have you done to yourself?"

"N-nothing, Master... I'm okay..." The tears that continued to slide down pale cheeks proved Fran's lie.

"Well, it looks as if we must leave and go to a hospital, then." Mukuro's eyes glinted with malice, his playful smirk widening. "Excuse us. Ciao."

Mukuro pulled Fran along to the front door, the teenager not stopping for anything. Bel was released, the young man dropping to the ground as he looked at his lap, feeling depressed about the things that had been said. Mammon sat next to him, waiting for him to speak.

Bel sighed as he dropped his head onto Mammon's lap, staring out of the window as he watched Mukuro help Fran into his car. "You believe me, don't you...?"

"Believe what? About Fran, or the other things that were said?"

"Both." Bel closed his eyes. "I'm not a whore, and Mukuro's definitely doing something to the brat..."

Mammon wasn't so sure about Bel's claims, knowing they could be fuelled purely by the things he had been through as a kid; he may be looking in to things too deeply and blaming what he had experienced to be the reason for Fran's behaviour, unable to consider that there could be so many other factors in this.

"Well, if that's what you think, then it's up to you to prove it," Mammon replied. "Just don't go overboard and try to kill my cousin again."

Bel sniggered. "Stupid pineapple deserved it..."

"Maybe, but you still shouldn't have attacked him; my parents have probably gone into the kitchen to decide the best way to kick you out and blame Squalo for your actions. You know they'll ring him and scream that it was all his fault."

"Shishishi~ They don't like Squ-Squ. I love Squ-Squ, though; he's more of a father than my real one."

"Well, of course he is; he's given you all of his love, even if he has weird ways of showing it."

Bel nodded, falling silent once again. Mammon was caressed the back of his hand before he spoke again, in a soft, unconfident voice.

"Does Mammy mind that I have trouble getting it up sometimes...?"

Mammon shook her head. "No, Bel. That's never been important before, and it won't be in future."

Bel grinned tiredly. "I love you, Mammy~"

"I love you, too, you big idiot."


	18. Chapter 18

In all of the years that had passed since Bel had confronted Mukuro, it had been rare to see the younger male or Fran – if they happened to run into each other down the street, Fran was _never_ let out of Mukuro's sight. Mammon didn't see much wrong with this, sure that perhaps her cousin just didn't want the boy to get hurt and was being overprotective.

However, once Mammon received a phone call from her parents saying that Fran had been found in a school bathroom trying to kill himself, she _did _start to wonder if there was basis to what Bel had been claiming for all this time.

The conversation with her parents would only make her ponder further.

"Well, why would he do that?" Mammon was sitting on the couch, the TV before her muted as spreadsheets of finances lay spread around her. Bel wasn't within earshot, making the girl wonder where he had disappeared to.

"Mukuro hasn't been informed," the older woman explained. "Fran was asked to show the cuts, and one of the teachers noticed a bruise just peeking out from under the sleeve. They lifted it up further and found more bruises. Fran wouldn't say where they came from."

"What's going to happen?"

"Fran's seventeen; still a minor – the school is calling in CPS to look into this."

"Does Mukuro know?" Mammon was sure that if something _was _going on, and Mukuro was aware of the fact that he was going to be investigated, he would either pack up and leave, or make sure his case was as clean as possible.

"No. Fran isn't due to leave school for a few more hours; the teachers said they were going to keep him back and have a CPS worker talk to him individually."

Mammon nodded. "I'll talk to Bel."

There were farewells exchanged between the two before they ended the call. Mammon stood up and looked around at her new home; Bel had eventually taken Dino up on his offer, and he and Mammon had moved in just a few weeks ago. They didn't live far from Squalo's house which was what helped make the decision for the blond; he probably would never have accepted if they were too far from the ones he considered his family.

Moving towards the stairs, Mammon travelled up to the second floor and into their bedroom, hearing the sounds of the shower running from the adjoining bathroom.

"Bel?" Mammon knocked on the bathroom door before she opened it, knowing better than to startle Bel while he was in such a compromising position. "Bel, are you almost finished?"

Bel had his back to the door, visible through the stained glass, but he turned his head to look over his shoulder, his hands stilling as they lathered shampoo into his blond locks. "Almost, Mammy."

"When you're done, I need to talk to you."

"Okay~" Bel started humming as he dipped his head under the flow of water, washing the shampoo out. He didn't mind when Mammon left the door open, knowing that he was safe here and no one was going to walk in on him.

With the time Mammon got to think over what she wanted to say, she wondered how Bel would take the news that he had probably been right all along.

_**~~Namimori High School~~**_

Fran sat in a corner of the principal's office, his knees to his chest as he hid his face. He had finally gotten that stupid social worker to leave him alone, and now he just had to convince his teachers that he was fine to go home. He didn't want to be here where the teachers whispered to each other about him. He didn't want to feel their judgemental looks when they thought he wasn't looking. He didn't care what Mukuro would do to him; he just wanted to go home and sleep.

The boy didn't know how much time had passed; only that he was eventually being ushered out of the school and into a stranger's car. He didn't question where he was being taken – he barely spoke a word to anyone these days – instead just stared out of the window and watched the world go past him.

Fran had been taken back to CPS Headquarters, where he remained for several hours in a room by himself. He had curled straight up in a corner and gone to sleep, oblivious to the police that were searching his home and arresting Mukuro as they gathered Fran's bed sheets stained with blood and semen, taking whatever else they could use as evidence.

_**~~XX~~**_

Squalo was frustrated to find that, the second he had finished turning off all the lights downstairs as he got ready for bed, the doorbell rang. It was past ten at night, and whoever had the guts to disturb him was going to get a mouthful.

However, what the man wasn't expecting was to find Mammon standing on his doorstep, frowning.

"Where's the shithead?" Squalo questioned, noticing that Bel wasn't with her.

"At home, sleeping." Mammon stepped into the house to escape the cold chill. "Could you do us a favour?"

"What is it?" Squalo wasn't sure what to think; Mammon never asked for favours unless it was something serious.

"My cousin Mukuro got himself arrested, and Fran's going back into the system. The parents who had fostered them died last year, and Fran doesn't have anyone. Could you get him for us? The process is too long for us to start; he'll be gone before we can become approved, but you've already gone through that, so it won't be much of a problem. If you can take him in your name, we'll keep him and manage him financially."

Squalo, who had heard a lot about Fran and Mukuro from Bel – who made it clear how much he hated them – was surprised; Mammon was very stingy and hated paying for other people out of her own money, and Bel wasn't the kind of person to take others in, rather enjoying their suffering.

"What caused this?" Squalo raised a curious eyebrow.

"Mukuro has been abusing him. Fran tried to commit suicide over it."

Squalo remembered just how hard it had been trying to raise the twins with their backgrounds; it had been frustrating, and at times he had considered giving them back, but in the end it had all been worth it; he had raised two beautiful young men and given them a second chance at life.

But would it be so easy with a _teenager_? Squalo had been lucky to get the twins at such a young age; their behaviour hadn't been too difficult to manage, but with a teenager, it would be harder because of how habitual the abuse and coping mechanisms would be.

But at the same time, Squalo _had _managed to put the twins on the right path and break their bad habits, and he couldn't bear to think of what would have happened to them if he hadn't taken them in.

With a sigh, Squalo nodded. "I'll see what I can do tomorrow morning. If I can get him, he'll have to stay with me until the routine checkups are finished. I can pay for his upkeep until you take him in, so don't worry about that."

Mammon nodded. "Thank you, Squalo. I'll be working all day tomorrow, so please let me know during lunch how it goes."

"Does Bel know you're going to take him?"

"He does. He protested at first, but when he heard about what Mukuro had been doing, he agreed; he said he remembered what it was like when no one wanted him and Rasiel because of how broken they were – he said he knew no one would want Fran as well."

Bel was right, even if he only thought that because the blond believed no one wanted kids who had been through hell; because of Fran's age, the majority of potential foster and adoptive parents would pass him over in favour of a younger child.

"I'll do my best," Squalo promised. "You should go home and make sure Bel's not awake and fretting."

Mammon agreed, knowing that Bel's insomnia was worse than ever; she had been forced to stay with him and caress him until he had fallen asleep before she could make her way over to Squalo's home. "Tell Siel I said hello."

"I will. Night, Mammon."

"Goodnight."

After letting the girl back outside, Squalo shut and locked the front door. He turned around and moved up the stairs, turning the hallway light off as he moved to Rasiel's bedroom. He opened the door slowly, checking on the twin who still wasn't ready to leave home. Said twin was curled up in his bed, sound asleep with the TV playing softly in the background.

"Siel..." Squalo shook his head as he stepped into the room, turning the TV off so it didn't disturb the younger male's rest.

Squalo walked over to the bed to pull the blankets over the frail body. He caressed blond hair in affection before he left the room, closing the door silently behind him.

Walking back into his own room, Squalo was greeted by the loud snoring of his lover. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it away, leaving his sweat pants on as he crawled into his side of the bed.

"Hey, asshole." Squalo elbowed the older male as hard as he could in the side, jerking Xanxus out of his sleep.

"Fucking _what_?" Xanxus growled.

"We're going to get another kid tomorrow." Squalo closed his own eyes as he rolled onto his side, his back facing the stronger man.

"Fuck. You've still got one here, you bitch."

"Siel doesn't count, fucktard."

"Whatever."

With that said, the two fell silent, each slipping into sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Bel had never minded taking his girlfriend to and from her work; the only car they had was the one Squalo had bought for Bel as Mammon didn't want to waste any of the money she had continuously saved up on her own car.

Bel didn't work; it was hard for him to find a job that was supportive of his mental health, and even harder to find somewhere that would even _accept _his application after hearing about his background; Squalo had offered him a position at the company, but Bel had declined for reasons only the blond knew. Because of this, Mammon worked more hours at the bank, not for the bills that Dino paid off for them, but so that Bel could go out and splurge his share of the money on whatever he wanted.

Mammon loved Belphegor enough to let him 'waste' money.

"Your phone's ringing." Mammon turned to look back at Bel, ignoring the cars passing by them that she had previously been watching.

Bel took his hand from the steering wheel, reaching into his pocket to grab his phone. His other hand was occupied with the ice cream cone he was holding, taking a lick of the strawberry ice cream before he pressed the answer button on his phone.

"Hello?" Bel lifted a knee, using it to keep the steering wheel straight.

Mammon just sighed and reached over, taking the phone from her lover. She checked the caller ID before she spoke, "You should have a talk with Bel and tell him not to use a phone _and _eat ice cream at the same time while he's driving."

On the other end of the line, Squalo huffed before he shouted, "Tell him I'll fucking kill him if he does that again!"

Bel giggled as he licked at his treat. "I heard you, Squ-Squ~ But you do it, too~!"

In the background, Squalo shouted angrily before he tried to calm himself by taking a deep breath. "...I got the brat."

"Good. How's he looking?"

"I pulled a few strings to get him, but he's got to be checked over by a hospital first before he comes home with me." There was shuffling in the background as someone spoke to Squalo. Mammon was patient as she waited for the man to finish speaking to whoever had approached him. "I'll take him home tomorrow at the earliest."

"Alright. Squalo, I've got to go; Bel's just parked outside the bank and he'll keep driving without any hands if I don't hang up now."

Squalo raged something incomprehensible before he took another deep breath. "...Talk to you soon."

"Bye." Mammon hung the phone up and handed it back to her lover. "You're going to give Squalo a brain haemorrhage one day."

Bel took the phone and slipped it back into his pocket, shrugging. "Squ-Squ just worries too much."

Mammon leant over towards Bel, pressing her lips against the man's. They kissed for a few seconds before they parted, Bel hating when his older lover had to work.

"I finish at five today," Mammon promised. "Don't be late."

"Love you, Mammy~" Bel flashed a lopsided grin before he started devouring what was left of his ice cream cone.

"Love you, too." Mammon got out of the car, ready to start off her day with precious money.

Bel sighed as he moved the car away from the curb; he hated driving by himself because the silence was so deafening, not even the radio helped.

_**~~XX~~**_

Squalo still greatly enjoyed outings with his family, but without Bel there to join them, it just didn't feel the same; Bel and Rasiel were precious to the silver-haired man, and as much as he denied it, he couldn't help but worry about Bel's new living arrangements – there were so many what ifs that ran through his mind, he often had to resist the urge to drive out and check up on the younger twin.

And now, while Squalo had taken his family out for dinner, he couldn't help but stress that something could happen to Bel and he wouldn't know until it was too late.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare into space, or are you going to fucking eat something?"

Squalo shook his head, clearing his mind, before he glared at his lover. "Fuck you."

Rasiel was eating his own meal peacefully, sometimes stopping in order to observe the other people in the Chinese restaurant they were at. He glanced up at his adoptive parents, frowning, before turning back to his food.

"It's quiet without Bel..." Rasiel sighed as he dropped his fork onto the plate. "We should have asked for him and Mammon to come."

"Siel, your brother moved out because he's ready to part from us," Squalo pointed out. "You can't just demand for him to come out with us; he has his own life to live with Mammon now."

Xanxus focused on his steak as the two younger males conversed. He was the only one to notice that Squalo's pants pocket had lit up and started vibrating as his phone shook silently with an incoming call.

"Answer your phone, shark trash."

Squalo growled as he pulled his phone into the open, not recognising the number that was flashing on his screen.

"Who is this?" Squalo said in his usual gruff tone.

"Is this... Squalo Superbi?" There was a female voice on the other line, sounding uncertain.

"Yes?" Squalo rolled his eyes, hating when people didn't get to the point.

"I'm calling from the local hospital in regards to the boy whom was brought here earlier by CPS," the caller explained. "We understand you've volunteered to foster him. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, the boy is currently in an isolated room at the moment as he seems to be suffering a very harsh emotional breakdown. We weren't going to release him until we had given him a thorough examination, but we think it would be better for him, the staff and other patients if he's taken home tonight as long as we can schedule another time for him to be brought back in for the rest of the tests."

"What kind of tests?" Squalo had never fully trusted doctors or anything of the like; he wasn't entirely sure of why, but he had always been wary of taking the twins to doctors when they were younger – he refused to leave the room, and always demanded a thorough explanation when a diagnosis had been made.

"Well, we ran a rape kit on him shortly after he was brought in. Seeing as it showed that he was indeed raped, we also want to run tests for any STDs he could have picked up. There is that, and just a general check up of his health – there are scarce medical records on him altogether."

"I'm with my family right now," Squalo replied. "Can I pick him up in perhaps an hour or so? They don't need to come to the hospital."

"That's fine; if his behaviour doesn't stop soon, we'll sedate him – especially if it becomes worse."

"Okay." Squalo hung the phone up, turning to Xanxus and Rasiel. "I have to get Fran from the hospital tonight. Finish your steak, Xanxus."

"Fuck you; I'll eat however goddamn slow I want!" Xanxus growled, stabbing at his steak with the fork. "You'd want to hurry the fuck up with that rice."

Squalo would have bit back if they weren't in public; he instead just muttered to himself as he continued eating, sending glares Xanxus' way when the older man wasn't looking.

_**~~XX~~**_

Fran continued to rock back and forth as tears slid down his face. His knees were pulled up to his chest as he hugged them, burying his face in the green material of his school pants. He sobbed, screaming on occasion, the sudden realisation of just how badly Mukuro had hurt him hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Fran had always been scared of Mukuro since the first time the older male came into his room at night and started touching him. He was even more scared of the threats Mukuro had made to ensure Fran never told anyone. But despite the fear that overwhelmed Fran to the point of consistently locking himself in his room and trying to put all his attention into his homework just to escape Mukuro had never been as bad as it was now; he was certain that when he went back home, his legal guardian was going to cut off his fingers and his tongue, just like had been promised early on during the abuse.

Fran had always been so scared of Mukuro, he had repeatedly wet the bed during nightmares, something he _still _did. There were times his bladder released without the dreams; after a lack of sleep, when Mukuro would start caressing him in the living room, the boy instinctively peed, the deceiving touches more terrifying than anything he had ever experienced.

The young boy had always hated the things he was forced to do, but at the same time, it was as if the trauma of the things that had been done to him had never fully impacted on his fragile mind until this exact moment. He couldn't stop replaying the memories, and ghostly touches lingered on his senses.

"Fran?"

Fran tensed as he lifted his head, expecting Mukuro to be standing in the doorway, ready to carry out his threats. Instead, he watched as a nurse held the door open and a long-haired man approached him slowly.

Hiding his face back between his knees, Fran trembled further, just wanting to be left alone. His backside still ached from the act he had been forced into before he had left for school, but it was nothing compared to what he was experiencing internally.

"Fran, I'm here to take you home." Squalo knelt by the boy, remembering how the smaller male's position was reminiscent to a younger Bel and Rasiel; only too many times had he found them in the corners, cowering.

"No!" Fran protested, shaking his head violently. "I don't want...! I don't want to go back to him...!"

"No, Fran; you're not going back to _him_," Squalo promised. "I'll never let him see you ever again if that's what you want; I won't let anyone hurt you."

"I don't want to go back..." Fran whimpered, his body quivering violently.

Squalo frowned before he tried a different approach. "You remember Belphegor, right? Belphegor and Mammon?"

Fran looked up warily, nodding. He avoided all eye contact, too scared to look completely at the other male.

"Well, I was the one who had adopted Belphegor and his brother." Squalo knew he had Fran's attention now. "I adopted them when they were just eight-years-old. They had been through something similar to what you're going through. You're not alone in this, Fran. Belphegor and his brother were _very _much alike to what you're doing now; they were both scared of everyone and cried a lot, but they're much better now. If you come home with me, I'll give you the same life I gave the twins, and you'll feel better soon."

Fran had never thought that Bel had been through something similar – he had seen the way the older male always seemed to drape himself around Mammon and smile and laugh with her; was that really a product of this man's help...? Would he, too, one day remember what it was like to laugh if he went with him...?

"I don't know if Belphegor ever told you, but my name is Squalo." Said man could see Fran hesitantly getting to his feet, taking his time as thoughts presumably ran chaotically through his mind. "We have a cat, too. Do you like animals, Fran?"

Fran nodded; he truly _did _like animals, but Mukuro had never let him play with any before. His grandmother, who had cared for him after his parents had died in an accident, was going to buy him a puppy before she passed away in her sleep. Without any other family, Fran had gone into foster care.

"We have a cat named Bester." Squalo kept his hands to himself as Fran slowly came to his side. "He's my partner's cat, and he's not very friendly, but he might like you; it took a while for him to warm up to the twins as well."

Fran nodded again, unable to stop the tears that continued to flow down his cheeks. He was hugging himself tightly as he followed behind Squalo, knowing that anywhere was better than being with Mukuro.

"We had Chinese for dinner, and I took some home for you. Do you like Chinese food?" Squalo could see that Fran was responding well to calmness; while it hadn't always worked for Bel and Rasiel, he seemed to be making progress already with Fran.

"...Y-yes..." Fran stared at the ground, too nervous to look at the older male again.

"Well, it's been a long day for you, so how about you have some dinner, jump in the shower and then try and get some sleep?"

Fran nodded, agreeing that it sounded like a good plan – as long as Squalo wasn't like Mukuro, he didn't mind doing as he was told.

"Belphegor moved out of home a few weeks ago, so you can have his old bedroom. There's a TV in there, and I'm not sure, but I think he left his laptop here as well. I'll just check with him and see if he'll give it to you – if he won't, I'll go and buy you a new one."

Fran was liking these ideas, but in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder if Squalo would be true to his word or not.

The boy was exhausted, and while he couldn't seem to stop crying, he just wanted to go to sleep and deal with whatever came next in the morning.


	20. Chapter 20

"Bel, if you don't get out of bed soon, I'm going to leave you here."

Bel groaned as he curled up tighter beneath the blankets. He shook his head, unable to find the motivation to get up and go to Squalo's home with Mammon.

"Bel." The girl sighed before she climbed onto Bel's side of the bed, sitting with him. She ran her hand through blond locks, saying, "If you get up and have a shower, you'll feel much better. I'll make you another ice cream cone for breakfast."

The blond groaned again as his frown grew; he just wanted to be left alone, and he hated when Mammon pestered for him to get out of bed – it was a hard thing to accomplish, and sometimes he felt as if Mammon was underestimating just how difficult getting out of bed _was_ for him.

Mammon sighed, knowing that Bel wasn't going to budge any time soon.

Leaning down, she placed her lips against Bel's temple, her fingers caressing his pale cheeks as she climbed off the bed. "I'm going to go see Fran. Do you want me to bring you back sushi for lunch?"

"I don't care..." Bel wanted to lift his head and rest it on Mammon's thigh, but he just couldn't find the strength to do even that; he just stared blankly at the wall behind Mammon, trying his hardest not to cry.

The girl knew that Bel just wanted comfort before she left, so she helped Bel lift his head from the pillow and rest it on her leg. "Will you at least try and get out of bed while I'm gone? It's okay if you don't want to have a shower or get dressed."

Bel nodded. "I'll try, Mammy..."

"Good. Have you had your medicine?" Mammon knew he hadn't, as he hadn't gotten out of bed all morning, but she asked anyway.

"No..." Bel whined as Mammon pushed him away and got off the bed. He knew she was only going to get a glass of water and his medication from downstairs, but he hated being away from her when he was feeling so bad; without Mammon, it felt as if he was falling apart, and it scared him.

Bel bit his lip as the silence overwhelmed him, wishing with all his being could be strong like Mammon – Mammon never let anything bring her down, and she was always happy and motivated in life. Unlike Bel, who spent most mornings _rolling _himself off the bed, unable to find the strength to get out any other way.

The man sighed as he let his eyes slip closed, fighting back his trauma as he waited impatiently for Mammon to return.

"Bel?"

Bel blinked as his girlfriend came back into the room, a glass of water and a handful of pills in her possession. He tried his hardest to at least push his upper body into the air, but his arms just didn't want to coordinate. He sighed as he let himself slump back down, wishing he wasn't so weak.

Mammon, who completely understood, placed the items onto the bedside drawers as she reached out, helping Bel sit up against the headboard. She gave him the glass of water and went to put the first pill into the younger one's mouth, only to sigh and stop as Bel dropped the water onto the mattress.

"Sorry..." Bel looked away as he felt Mammon's gaze on him; he hadn't meant to spill anything, but he just hadn't been able to keep holding his arm up.

"It's okay, Bel. I'll just get more water."

Bel nodded, wishing he didn't frustrate Mammon all the time; he knew he was difficult to handle, and his deepest fear was that he may one day push Mammon away.

The very idea of losing her to his illness brought Bel to the tears he had been fighting against desperately.

_**~~XX~~**_

If there was one thing Squalo knew, it was that the only times Bel wasn't with Mammon was when he was feeling so down, he was in a state so bad, he could barely even move his limbs with his non-existent motivation.

"Did he take his medicine?" Squalo was sitting out in the living room with Rasiel, a movie playing on the huge TV. Xanxus was upstairs in his office, and Fran was apparently refusing to come out of his room.

"Eventually." Mammon hated telling Squalo bad news, but she knew he had a right to know; he had been the ones who had taken the twins in, after all. "He dropped the water when I tried to help him, and then his body tried to reject them. He choked on the pill and coughed it back up, and was feeling nauseas after he eventually got them all down."

"Sometimes he needs them in yoghurt," Rasiel pointed out. "Chocolate yoghurt is his favourite. Just put them in the tub and give it to him. You don't have to tell him because he already knows they're his pills."

"I'll try that next time." Mammon moved to sit on the couch beside Rasiel, checking her phone in case Bel tried to call her. "Is Fran doing alright today?"

"He ate breakfast with us, but I don't think he slept at all last night." Squalo turned his head to look out into the hallway as he heard someone descending the stairs, only to find Xanxus presumably after food. "He most definitely doesn't want to be touched, but he was okay with Rasiel before."

Mammon turned to look at the older twin with a questioning manner. "What were you doing with him?"

"I was fixing Belphegor's laptop for him so that he could use it." Rasiel run his hand through his blond locks. "We thought it might be a good idea to give him some freedom. I cleaned off all of Belphegor's... eh... private videos so he didn't find them."

Mammon sniggered at the comment, while Squalo laughed. "Keeping them for yourself, Siel?" The silver-haired man smiled playfully at his charge.

Rasiel frowned as he shook his head, looking very uncomfortable with the subject. "You guys know I don't... _need _that..."

Squalo loved teasing Rasiel lightly about this subject, but he knew not to take it too far; Rasiel was sensitive, and it didn't take much to make him remember things he couldn't forget.

"If ever you _do _start doing that, just ask Bel to lend you some of his videos." Mammon laughed lightly at her own joke. "He has quite the collection."

"Shithead didn't seem to watch them very much." Squalo shrugged. "Guess I can see why."

"Bitch, your brat's wailing. Go shut him the fuck up."

Three sets of eyes turned to see Xanxus standing in the doorway, a packaged steak in his hand. He threw it towards the couch, managing to hit his target which was Squalo's head.

"Make that for me while you're at it."

Squalo growled as he threw the steak onto the coffee table, rubbing at his now-sore head. "Fuck you, Xanxus! You're such an asshole!"

Rasiel had been quick to divert his attention back to the TV; while he knew that Xanxus and Squalo never fought seriously and loved each other more than anything else, it still made him uncomfortable to be so close to them while they yelled – well, Squalo yelled, and Xanxus egged him on.

"If you're going to cook that, I'll check on Fran." Mammon stood up from where she had been sitting, moving out of the living room. She smirked as she listened to Squalo rant to Rasiel about how much of a bastard Xanxus was, but she knew better than to think the two older adults took the other's actions seriously – their seemingly abusive relationship had long-since been built on a solid foundation of love and trust, and while neither male was very competent when it came to expressing such emotions, their aggressive displays were merely their shows of affection.

After climbing the stairs, Mammon moved to the end of the hall where Bel's old room was located. She knocked on the door, jiggling the handle to see that it was unlocked.

"Fran?" Mammon could hear the boy suddenly stop sniffling at her voice. "Fran, may I come in?"

"...Okay..." Fran sounded scared, but Mammon couldn't blame him; he had suffered for so long, it was expected that he would come out of this with just as many problems – if not more – as Bel.

Opening the door, Mammon poked her head into the room. Fran was curled up beneath the bed, his teal eyes red from emotion. It didn't look as if he had touched anything in the room since he had been brought here – she had a _very _good memory, and the items Bel had left behind were still in exactly the same spot they had been in when they had moved out.

Purely out of habit, Mammon went to shut the door behind her, only to stop when Fran whimpered and begged her to leave it open. She could tell that the damage done to Fran was much more extensive than she could see.

"Do you like it here?" Mammon knelt down on the ground, leaving distance between her and Fran; if the boy wanted comfort, he would come out from under the bed and seek it.

Fran didn't give any indication as to whether he did or not; he merely whispered, "Master's not here..."

"Of course he's not; Squalo would _never _let someone like that near his kids." Mammon shook her head, wishing she could be of more help. "Bel wanted to come over and see you as well, but he was finding it too hard to get out of bed. He was very upset himself when I left."

"..." Fran shivered as he looked away from Mammon. "...Most days... I just want to kill myself... but I just... can't even be bothered to... to lift a single finger..."

"Bel is very much like that; he doesn't enjoy life, and it's a real battle for him to get motivation. You're not alone in this, Fran."

"It feels as if I am..." Fran looked back up at Mammon, a fresh wave of tears falling from his eyes. "...Am I... going back to Master...?"

"No, Fran – _never_. I already spoke to Squalo; he's going to keep you here with him, and as soon as he can, he's going to move you in with Bel and I. Would you rather live with us?"

Fran nodded. "...I want to live with you now..."

"We can't do that just yet because Squalo can get in _very _big trouble. As soon as he can let you go with us, he will. We promise."

"Okay..." Fran nodded, looking away again. He still hadn't moved from under his bed, and Mammon couldn't help but think that the boy had probably been there all night.

"I heard you met Siel." Mammon was trying her best to calm Fran down, trying to get him to understand that he was safe here with Squalo. "He's very nice, isn't he?"

"...Yes..."

"Siel is just like you and Bel; he doesn't want to live either, but he keeps soldiering on. If you talk to him, he'll tell you about his own struggles and you'll see just how strong he is. He's very inspiring, and it would be good for you both to have someone to talk with."

"...I don't feel strong at all..." Fran mumbled. "...I'm really weak and pathetic..."

"Would you believe that the twins feel exactly the same way as you? They've been through so much, but even if they can't see it, they're still here and trying their hardest. That's all we can ask of ourselves, Fran. You've been going through _that _for so long – a lot of people would give up after the first time. It's _okay _to cry about the things you've been through, Fran, and it doesn't make you weak; sometimes we just need someone to help us stand on our feet."

"Is it okay to want to kill yourself, too...?"

"Fran, the truth is that what you've had done to you is horrific, and _of course_ you're coming out of this with emotional and mental scars. I'd be worried if you _didn't _want to kill yourself, because I'm pretty sure that if I went through the same thing, I'd have tried it long ago. You're a good kid, Fran, and you never deserved anything you were put through. It was never your fault that this happened. Okay? You have a good family now who will look after you and keep you safe, and if you ever want to talk to Siel or Squalo about your experiences, they'll do their best to listen and try to help you."

Fran nodded. He wasn't sure what else to say, but Mammon's words were comforting to him.

"Bel wants to go swimming and see a movie soon." Mammon hoped she was doing the right thing by changing the subject. "We're going to do that as soon as he's feeling up to it. Would you like to come with us?"

"...Okay..." Fran had no intention of getting into a pool with them – he didn't want anyone to see his bruised and scarred body – but he did like the idea of at least sitting on the sidelines, watching. Maybe one of them had an iPod he could borrow so he could listen to music, too?

Mammon nodded to herself as she stood up. "I have to get back home and check on Bel. If you need us, Squalo and Siel have our numbers."

Part of Fran didn't want Mammon to leave, but the other, more fearful part of him was glad that he could be alone again; he had learnt to fear people, and he wasn't sure if that would ever change.

"Bye..." Fran whispered, curling into a tighter ball.

Mammon waved to him as she left, walking back downstairs to talk to Squalo, who was now standing in the kitchen cooking the steak Xanxus had wanted.

"Will you be sending Fran back to school?" Mammon moved to the fridge and opened it, taking the carton of chocolate milk sitting in the door. She waved it into Squalo's vision. "I'm taking this for Bel; we're out of it."

Squalo nodded, knowing he could always buy more for Rasiel later. "The shithead's going to go back when he's ready. I've still got to put my details into the school's system, so I'll take him back in a few days with me while I do it and see if he's ready or not."

"Whatever you do, _don't _send him for a full day." Mammon checked her watch, seeing that it was close to twelve. "I can pick him up at lunchtimes and he can stay with us so you're not leaving work all the time. I'll bring him back when you've finished work."

"Will that be a hassle?" Squalo turned the stove off, handling the steak with care as he put it onto a plate.

"No. And it saves him catching a bus just to go back to an empty home; Bel couldn't stand that when he was still at school."

"Point taken. Look, Mammon, I'm happy for you to make all the arrangements regarding him; he'll be staying with you in the end anyway. He just needs a chance to settle in before we start making life-changing decisions and moving him around too much – it will only make it harder for him to fall into routine and get used to us."

Mammon nodded. "I've got to go check on Bel. I'll talk to you soon."

"Alright." Squalo had finished preparing the steak exactly the way Xanxus liked it. He nodded to the girl as she left the kitchen with the carton of chocolate milk in tow, taking the steak out once he heard the front door close.

Squalo knew that Mammon cared – she cared _a lot_ – but would she be able to handle caring for _two _damaged males?

Shaking his head, the man knew that if it ever _did _come to that, his door would always be open to take Bel or Fran or even _both_ back into his home.


	21. Chapter 21

**This is the moment you've all been waiting for. The lemon. Before you read it, I'll give a fair warning that I tried my hardest to include all three of them having about an equal amount of time with each other participant (e.g MammonxBel, BelxMammon, BelxFran), but because I very rarely write threesome pairings, I don't know how well I have accomplished this. I honestly felt really unconfident as I was writing it as I also don't dabble very much in malexfemale pairings, so I've tried to make up for it in length. Please let me know your thoughts on it, and let me know what I can improve upon for future. **

Having adopted twins previously, it was no surprise the house visits made to Squalo's home to check on Fran ended quickly; the boy's bruises and cuts were healing, not a single fresh mar on his skin anywhere. He was putting on more weight, and his living conditions were perfect.

Squalo had been able to send Fran over to Bel and Mammon's home within just two months of having cared for him, and Fran seemed happier about this, too; he had packed his bags eagerly the night before the move all by himself, and for once he was the first one out of bed, hoping to go the second Squalo woke up.

And now, two weeks after having moved in with Bel and Mammon, the boy seemed much happier, even if he was still suffering from the effects of the abuse.

"Hey, Froggy."

Fran looked up as his bedroom door opened, finding Bel stepping into the room with a laid-back smile on his face.

"Bel-senpai." The boy nodded at the older male, tensing instinctively as Bel sat on the spare seat next to Fran's desk.

"Is Froggy doing homework?" Bel grinned as the boy nodded. "Can I help?"

Fran knew what he was doing, but he also knew that Bel just wanted to spend some time with him; it wouldn't hurt to let Bel have a look at his homework. "Okay."

Bel moved the chair over to sit next to Fran. He slid the sheet of paper the younger was working on in front of him, his mind working over the advanced math questions simultaneously.

"You did this one the long way." Bel pointed out a particular question, taking one of the pens abandoned on the desk to rework the question. "I'll show you the short way."

Fran watched Bel's wrist twist and flick as he wrote in very neat, fancy handwriting. He listened as Bel explained what he had done to get the same answer Fran had earlier, and the smaller male agreed it was _much _faster this way.

Fran didn't mind spending an extra hour on his homework, because he could see how much the blond was enjoying what he was doing. In fact, the only reason they had stopped was because Mammon had come upstairs saying she was getting ice cream for everyone and to come downstairs so that they could all watch a movie together.

Fran was reluctant to close his text books, but he did so anyway, knowing that he would never feel better if he continued to lock himself in his room and immerse himself in his studies. With hesitance, he followed Bel downstairs, the blond humming as he eagerly anticipated his treat.

"What are we watching...?" It was no surprise Fran was most comfortable being on his own, involved in copious amounts of school work – he struggled to enjoy these kinds of moments, his trauma having messed him up enough to fear everyone around him.

"You like magic, don't you?" Mammon was gentle as she handed the youngest a bowl of chocolate ice cream. "Illusions?" She smiled as Fran nodded, saying, "Bel went out and bought some movies about magic and illusions for you."

"Oh..." Fran turned to Bel, avoiding eye contact. "...Thank you..."

"Shishi~ It's not a problem, Froggy." Bel had his own bowl of ice cream, and he rested it in the crook of one arm so that he could reach out and pet Fran's head. "Mammy, put one on, please~"

Fran sat on the couch beside Bel, focusing his attention on his ice cream. He shuddered as Bel tried to wrap an arm around his shoulder, only to pull away instinctively and slide across the couch, putting distance between the two.

Bel frowned, visibly hurt by the action. He instead nestled up against Mammon, his legs curled beneath him as he rested his head on her shoulder, eating his ice cream slowly in order to savour the taste.

Fran had finished his treat quickly. He rested against the arm of the couch, watching the movie with interest. He could hear Mammon and Bel whisper to each other at random intervals, but he didn't mind; it was comforting to know that he was no longer with Mukuro.

_**~~XX~~**_

Not long after the movie had finished, Fran had gone back upstairs into his bedroom. He had locked himself away as usual, reading a book at his desk.

Mammon and Bel had also returned to their room together, and while Bel lay on the bed, Mammon was changing into her pyjamas. The blond was watching his girlfriend eagerly, his obscured eyes dancing over her busty chest. He extended a hand, whispering, "Mammy..."

Mammon dropped the black pyjama top she had been holding, moving over to Bel's side. She crawled onto the mattress, sitting by the younger's side. "What's wrong?"

Bel just pushed himself into a sitting position. He reached out, brushing the tips of his fingers against his girlfriend's chest, smiling softly at the comfort her soft body gave him – it wasn't hard and calloused like his father's had been.

"Are you in the mood?" Mammon whispered. She brushed blond bangs out of Bel's eyes, admiring the purple orbs that watched her.

Bel nodded. He leant the side of his face against one breast, smiling as he rubbed his cheek against it like a kitten. "Mammy's body is so soft..."

"I know. Your skin is soft, too, Bel." Mammon knew to be patient with Bel when they were doing things like this; if she tried to rush him or make him feel as if he were being forced, he usually panicked and wanted to stop. It was _very _easy for Bel to lose sexual interest, even if he was inside the girl – it wasn't him, it was the memories that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Bel turned his head so that he could bring a hardening nipple in his mouth. He sucked on it, licking the nub slowly, while his left hand came up to grope at Mammon's corresponding breast.

The girl let out a soft moan, her fingers threaded in blond locks. "Bel..."

Bel hummed in response to his name, nibbling at the nub before he moved to the other one, licking at it carefully. He stopped only so that he could lift his arms up into the air as he felt his own striped shirt being pulled upwards. He shrugged it off before he returned to what he was doing.

Mammon let her fingers caress the soft flesh of Bel's back. She was careful to ghost over raised skin, scars that had long-since blended in with the rest of them; they were scars that had been inflicted by his parents, and Mammon knew there was no reason to admire them – they were nothing but ugly reminders of the pain Bel suffered through.

The blond tensed instinctively as he felt feather-light touches on his scars, but he soon relaxed, knowing Mammon would never hurt him. He instead started kissing down Mammon's chest, along her stomach and stopping only at the hem of her pants.

"Bel..." Mammon breathed as slender fingers drew the remainder of her clothes from her body. She took a deep breath as Bel buried his face between her legs, careful not to startle him as he started licking at her clit.

Bel was placid as he slipped three fingers inside of his lover, digging around for her bundle of nerves as he busied himself with licking and sucking at her most sensitive spot.

Mammon's breathing had quickened, becoming heavy. She kept her hand on Bel's head, not to force him down, but to let him know that she was there with him. Her eyes, hidden behind indigo locks tonight, were glazed over with lust.

Bel had snaked his hand into his pants and taken hold of his engorged member. He stroked himself slowly, a reminder that he was in control right now and Mammon would always let him go at his own pace. He moaned softly as he rubbed his thumb against his tip, sending a shiver down Mammon's spine.

"Bel, I love you..." Mammon let her fingertips massage her lover's scalp, squeezing the hand that had taken hold of her own, a silent reply that he, too, loved Mammon.

They continued on like this for a while longer before the creaking of their door opening startled them both. Bel instinctively panicked, his obscured eyes wide with fear as he pressed his body against Mammon's, trying to hide himself.

"Fran, what are you doing?" Mammon wrapped her arms around Bel, holding the now-trembling male tight. "How long were you standing there for?"

Fran stepped further into the room. He looked down, his shoulders tense. "...Since it started..."

Bel, who had recognised Fran's voice, calmed down. He pulled away from Mammon, lifting up the blanket and pulling it over them; he didn't want to share _his _Mammy with _anyone_, and even the _thought_ of someone else seeing her naked upset him.

"Mammy..." Bel whined, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

"Hold on, Bel." Mammon turned her attention back to Fran, gesturing for him to come closer. Once he was within range, she slowly reached out, gripping the boy's wrist. She pulled him onto the bed, letting him lean above her legs on his hands and knees. "Were you watching us?"

Fran nodded hesitantly, biting his lip. He looked away from the girl, fighting back tears.

"Why?" Bel whispered, still trembling from his earlier fright; it brought back too many memories that were now running rampart through his head.

"...Because I... got hard..." The teal-haired male sobbed in embarrassment as he revealed his reasoning. "...I never... got hard over anything before..."

Mammon frowned. She wanted to wrap her arms around Fran, but she knew it would only scare him – Fran was fragile, just like Bel.

Turning her head to look down at her lover, Mammon whispered, "Can he join us, Bel?"

"What? Hell no!" Bel shook his head, hiding beneath the covers.

Mammon pulled back the blankets, looking into Bel's face. "You've told me that you like other males, but you're too scared of them to pursue your interests. Well, Fran is just as damaged as you, Bel. He might not ever trust anyone ever again if we don't show him it's okay now. At the same time, you can see that other men are okay, too."

Bel was frowning, but she knew that Mammon was right; he had known as a teenager that he was sexually attracted to males just as much as females, but the things his father had done to him had pushed him away. He had always wondered what it would be like to be with another male, but not only did he fear them, he was too faithful to Mammon to _ever _consider cheating on her.

"...I can take my time with him, too...?" Bel compromised.

"Yes, Bel. You can be as slow as you like, as long as you're not going too fast for Fran."

Bel nodded. He sat back up in the bed, reaching out to run his thumb against Fran's face. He wasn't surprised that the boy turned his head away and looked at the blankets as he frowned. He didn't let this deter him; he instead reached out with both hands, pulling Fran closer to him.

"Are you comfortable with Bel?" Mammon asked, holding Fran's hand. She caressed the back of his hand with her thumb, confirming that the younger would like to go through with this. She let out a breath of relief as Fran nodded. "Are you comfortable with me, too?"

"Yes..." Fran whispered. Sex had been something he had thought he would always fear, finding it hard to even cope in school when those kinds of subjects came up – but after hearing his two guardians becoming intimate, it had confused him when his groin had started stirring with interest.

While Bel nibbled on Fran's earlobe, Mammon pressed her lips to the smaller male's. She didn't force her tongue into the wet cavern; she was content with just pressing their lips together. Be it for whatever reason, Fran soon opened his mouth, allowing Mammon entry. It was clear from the way the smaller muscle retreated from her that he had never reciprocated when Mukuro had done this to him.

The girl eventually coaxed the hot tongue out of hiding, and she didn't mind the inexperienced fumbling Fran made as he slowly started to kiss back.

Fran was the first to pull away for air. He panted softly as he looked away, feeling a thin string of saliva still connecting them.

"Was that okay?" The girl asked, reaching out to wipe the fluid from Fran's lips. She smiled when Fran nodded, knowing that he was slowly melting under the touches to have kissed back.

Bel was still kissing down Fran's throat, taking his time in tasting the younger's flesh. He wanted to explore beneath the red school shirt Fran was wearing, but he knew what it was like to feel uncomfortable and rushed; he instead lifted his head back up, kissing Fran's forehead, his cheeks, his nose and then his lips. He tried to make Fran as easy with this as he could, knowing that it would only lead to further problems if they took it farther than the youngest was ready for.

Like Mammon, Bel also had to coax Fran's tongue out of the back of his mouth. It took a little longer this time, presumably due to the fact that Fran was naturally more comfortable with Mammon than he was Bel.

The blond's fingers trailed down skinny arms, his fingertips dancing across the green material of Fran's jacket. He caressed a tiny hand before he entwined their fingers together, letting Fran know that he meant no harm.

Again, Fran slowly started kissing back. He faltered often, but he eventually found his tongue slipping into the man's. He was the first to pull away for air again, his lungs not as strong as the other two.

Mammon smiled as she took in the look of Fran's face; his cheeks were flushed, his teal eyes hazy and half lidded. There was a tad of saliva hanging down his face again, and all-in-all, he looked as if he were _very _comfortable with what was happening.

"Can we go further?" Mammon asked, knowing not to expect the other to agree so soon.

After a few seconds of hesitating, Fran nodded. He shrugged his school jacket off him, pulling his shirt off next. His chest was very small and feminine, his stomach almost sickly thin, but his hard nubs stood proudly erect.

Mammon slid a hand over the younger's chest, her fingers brushing against the male's nipples. Fran trembled beneath the touch, a sharp intake of breath filling the air. He let out a soft whimper, his eyes closing as his chin fell onto his chest.

Bel was running a hand through teal hair, kissing the nipple closest to him. He then wrapped his lips around it, nibbling gently.

Fran cried out, arching his chest into their touches. He whimpered, trying to breathe heavily through his nose.

Mammon kissed the boy's lips gently as she slid her hand down his navel, resting against the baggy green pants. "May I take them off, Fran?"

Fran cracked open one eye. He observed Mammon for a while before he nodded, closing his eyes again as he tried to stop any noises from escaping his lips.

Mammon lowered the green pants, taking the green boxers with them. She let the boy's erection spring forth, one that was much smaller than Bel's, but still a decent size. She didn't touch him just yet, knowing it may be too soon for him.

But just as that thought crossed her mind, Mammon was surprised when Fran took initiative and reached out to her chest, his fingers running against her breasts curiously.

Mammon could tell that Fran had never been allowed to have control before; the boy continuously hesitated, as if he thought he was about to cross a line and get beaten.

"It's okay," Mammon promised. "You can touch."

Fran nodded. While he busied himself with fulfilling his curiosity, Mammon addressed Bel.

"You're the only one still wearing clothing, Bel."

Bel nodded. He leant forward, claiming Mammon's lips in his as he pulled his pants from his body, chucking them carelessly away. His silky red boxers remained, the large bulge trying to find room to breathe. His fingers hooked in them next, revealing his arousal to Fran and Mammon.

"Bel-senpai, you're so big..." Fran whispered, his teal eyes watching the twitching erection warily. "...Do I... have to do anything...?"

"Not unless you want to," Bel promised.

Fran nodded. Bel watched as the younger boy returned his attention to Mammon's chest. He was jealous that his girlfriend was letting someone _else _touch her, but he understood; Fran was broken, and the important thing was that she could have cheated on him behind his back but made her intentions clear to Bel before anything happened.

When Fran had eventually lowered himself so that he was looking at Mammon's sex, he wasn't sure how to proceed; his mouth had been used against his will so many times by Mukuro, he was almost too frightened to go anywhere _near _there with his face.

"Bel-senpai..." Fran sounded so sad, it broke their hearts. He looked up at Bel with tear-filled eyes, his lip quivering. "...I don't... know what to do..."

"What do you mean, Fran?" Mammon reached out, caressing a now-wet cheek.

"...Master never... I don't..." Fran made an agitated noise as he tried to explain his dilemma. "...I've never... done this..."

Bel hated Mukuro more than ever; what kind of sick person would keep someone for themselves and not even teach them _about _sex...?

"Put your finger here, Froggy." Bel pointed to Mammon's clit, remembering how he had been confused at first, too. "Just rub this spot and it will make Mammy feel good."

Fran frowned. "...What about... my penis...? How does it... work for me...?"

"Girls are different to boys, Fran," Mammon explained patiently. "You can use your penis, but it feels best for us when this spot is rubbed. Do you want to try it and see if it feels good for you?"

Fran looked away, considering the offer; he had never felt good during sex with Mukuro – it hurt too much for any pleasure – but he was smart enough to understand that it was sticking a boy's part into something tight that caused the pleasure – why else would Mukuro have done it so often?

Sex was a scary thing to Fran, but he desperately wanted to know _why _it had felt so good to Mukuro, the older male had continued to do it.

"Mammy..." Bel whined, frowning at his girlfriend. "...I..."

"It won't hurt, Bel," Mammon soothed. "It will just be so he can understand. I will always be yours; you know that."

Bel nodded, knowing the other was right. He instead sat back on the mattress, listening as Mammon explained how sex with a female worked. He perked up when her attention fell back on him, only to let his shoulders slump as he was asked for a condom.

"Mine are too big for him..." While Bel wasn't lying, even if they weren't too big for Fran, he didn't feel comfortable letting someone else use _his _condoms.

Mammon nodded. She didn't feel entirely comfortable with letting someone inside her unprotected, but she didn't want to back out now that she had already promised Fran he could experience what _consensual _sex was like.

"Do you want to do it now?" Mammon asked, receiving a nod in response. She sat back, leaning against the headboard, spreading her legs so that Fran had room. "Okay. Whenever you're ready."

Bel didn't like the sight of Fran pushing his arousal inside _his _Mammon; in an attempt to distract himself, he grabbed the girl's face and crushed his lips against hers. He shivered as he felt her hand slide down his body, letting him know that she was about to bring him pleasure, too. He groaned softly and bit Mammon's shoulder as he rocked his hips into her gentle touch.

"Mammon..." Fran thrust in and out slowly at first, sweat dripping off his face. He wasn't used to what he was feeling, but he liked it; the warmth that was engulfing him was soothing, and for the first time, he wasn't being forced or rushed.

"Do you want to be inside him, Bel?" Mammon whispered, brushing hair out of the younger's eyes, seeing nothing but love and trust in them.

"..." Bel wasn't sure if he wanted to do that or not; it would certainly be different than being with Mammon, but...

Oh, what the hell; this would probably be the only chance he would have to see if he liked it or not. "Yes..."

"Fran?" Mammon gently cupped the boy's face, bringing him to look up at her. "Is it okay if Bel goes inside you? He'll make it good for you, I'm sure – it won't be anything like it was with Mukuro."

Fran winced, but at the same time, he knew that Mammon was speaking the truth; he had witnessed for himself how tender the man was with Mammon, and he knew that Bel had been through what he had as well – if anyone would understand, it would be Bel.

"Will... it feel good...?" Fran asked, his eyes full of worry. He regarded the two older ones with concern, wanting nothing more than to feel alright again – if letting Bel inside him would be what brought that feeling back, he would gladly consent to it.

"Well, I've... never been on top with another male before..." Bel frowned as a guilty look crossed his face. "...I don't know how good I could make it for you..."

Fran shook his head; he knew that what Mukuro had done to him was horrible, but he also knew that not everyone was like that – and Bel, someone who had gone through that, should be the last person to hurt Fran in that way.

Fran shrugged. "...That's okay..."

Reaching out with a tentative hand, Bel pulled Fran's face back to his. He pressed his lips against the softer ones, tilting his head to get better access. Their tongues danced together easily this time as Fran's hands reached up to secure themselves in blond hair.

When they broke apart, Fran instinctively laid down on the bed, staring up at Bel with a pained expression – it was as if he was so used to being forced down onto his back, he didn't understand there were easier, less submissive positions that wouldn't scare him as much.

Bel ignored this as he reached over onto the bedside table. He opened the drawer and reached in, pulling out a box of condoms. He pulled a small package out before he tossed the box away, popping the package open and withdrawing a condom.

Fran, who had never seen one before, let alone heard of one, couldn't help but question its purpose. "...W-what's that for...?"

Bel shook his head, uncomfortable with explaining the dynamics of safe sex to someone else. It was Mammon who cleared that up for him, and with that out of the way, he placed three of his fingers in his mouth, slicking them as best he could; he didn't know how the specifics of Fran's abuse, and he didn't want to make the younger remember _anything _if possible.

"Sit on my lap, Frog."

Fran blinked, not understanding what was being asked of him; he had struggled so often against Mukuro, he had never been taken in any other way other than being held down to the bed.

Bel offered a weak smile as he explained his reasoning. "I don't let Mammy lay over me, either, Frog."

Fran nodded. He clambered onto Bel's lap, wrapping his legs around the scrawny body and tangling his arms around Bel's neck. He buried his face in Bel's chest, his breathing heavy as he waited anxiously to see whether or not he would like this.

"If..." Fran started, lifting his head to look up at Bel. "...If I don't like it... we can stop, right...?"

Bel nodded, pressing his lips against Fran's. "If _I_ can stop, too..."

"Of course, senpai." Fran's fingertips danced across Bel's chest, tensing as he felt the man's hand travel down his side and to his rear.

Fran made no noise as the first finger invaded his heat. Mukuro had never done this to him before, so Fran imagined his soon-to-be lover was trying to loosen him up to make it hurt less.

"Let me know if it feels good for you." Bel rested his chin on teal hair as he pressed his finger around, more concerned about finding the boy's pleasure spot before anything else.

Fran nodded. He moved a hand to grip tightly at Bel's shoulder, his nails digging into scarred flesh tightly. He was breathing heavily, mostly from nerves.

"I'm going to add another finger." Bel did as he had explained, still searching for that one spot that he had heard drove men crazy with need.

Fran whined softly at the sudden intrusion, but he didn't stop Bel. He could feel the man leaning down to bite at his shoulder, knowing Bel only did it when he was distressed.

"Senpai...?" Fran's voice was wavering. "Are you – s-senpai!"

Bel lifted his teeth from sensitive flesh, a smile crossing his face. "Found it," he whispered to himself.

Mammon sat beside them, watching the two with eager eyes. Her hand sat in her lap, caressing herself as she watched Bel slide in the last finger. Fran whimpered and shifted in discomfort, but he was soothed by a soft kiss from Bel.

"I'm going to slide in now," Bel promised. He grabbed a bottle of lube from the same drawer he kept his condoms in, making sure to lather himself up extra carefully; he didn't want to hurt Fran while they did this; he wanted the younger to enjoy it.

Fran secured himself to Bel's body as he felt the tip of Bel poke at him. He took a deep breath to calm himself as the shaft was slowly pushed inside his body, already finding this sensation to be different from the ones Mukuro inflicted upon him – it hurt, but it didn't feel as if his very insides were being torn apart as he was entered ruthlessly; instead, it was a very tight, uncomfortable feeling.

"Nngh..." Fran whimpered, his eyes slipping closed. He was instinctively tense, but when he felt a hand wrap around his shaft, he calmed down; it wasn't Mukuro he was here with.

Mammon watched as Bel carefully lifted the boy up, sliding him along his length, before bringing him back down with care. She leant over, kissing Bel with passion, having never loved him as much as she did now.

Fran whimpered and cried out a few times before he moaned, his eyes widening as pleasure shot up his spine. He wriggled a little, this time bringing himself up, wanting to experience more of the foreign feeling.

Mammon and Bel broke apart, the girl reaching out to caress teal hair. "Is that good, Fran?"

Fran regarded her with hazy eyes, nodding. He whimpered as Bel lifted his hips, having never thought something could feel this good.

"Mammy..." Bel left a hand on Fran's hip, letting the younger know he was still there with him, but he used his free hand to slip between Mammon's legs, sliding three fingers deep inside of her; he liked it when she was hot and wet, and he often caressed her bundle of nerves before he moved to her clit, liking his fingers to be moistened with the girl's own fluids. "Mammy, I love you..."

"I love you, too, Bel." Mammon moved closer, letting her boyfriend work his magic.

"Senpai..." Fran could feel himself getting close, and though he didn't understand why, the sight of his lover fingering Mammon made him moan. He laid down with Bel as the stronger man pulled him down with him, and once he watched the blond bury his face between Mammon's legs, a wet, sucking sound filling the air, he cried out as he felt the coil in his stomach snap.

Bel grunted as the boy convulsed tightly around his length, stilling his ministrations on Mammon as his face scrunched up with his own climax. He called out for Mammon, and once Fran slumped against him in an exhausted heap, he wrapped one arm around him, not bothering to pull himself out of the relaxing entrance.

Mammon waited patiently before Bel to continue, caressing blond hair as she did so. She had to admit, the sight of the two boys climaxing together had pushed her to her limit, and within seconds of Bel's thumb on her clit again, she hit her limit as well.

"Bel..." Mammon ducked her head as her insides convulsed, her body quivering as she felt warmth spreading up into her stomach. She panted as she moved to lie down beside the other two and pulled the blankets over them.

Fran was already fast asleep, curled up on Bel's chest. He didn't stir even when Mammon ran her fingers through his teal locks, mumbling something incomprehensible.

"Was that good, Bel...?" Mammon offered a tired smile towards the younger before she closed her eyes. She could feel Bel snuggling in against her, and wrapping her arm around the two males, she closed the distance between them.

"Love you... Mammy..." Bel whispered, already on the brink of sleep.

The three spent that night together, as close as possibly could be. For once, neither males' dreams were full of nightmares, reliving things they wanted to forget; they were peaceful, calm, and filled with the love they sought desperately.


	22. Chapter 22

**I'm going to end this fic here with an epilogue. I wanted to make it longer and extend the relationship between the three further, but I've been depressed again with things going on, so I've been losing a bit of interest in this fic. Don't get me wrong; I loved working on it, but it was just getting harder and harder to get motivation to write more chapters. I might add more chapters to it in future, but for now I'm going to mark it as complete. Don't take it off your alerts list just in case I do end up coming back to it. **

Mammon was the first one awake the next morning. Her alarm still had only a few minutes to go before it went off, seven-fifty-three flashing on the monitor. With a yawn, she ran her fingers through her hair before she untangled herself from Bel's arm. She smiled as she noticed that Fran was still curled up against the man, a peaceful expression on his face as he sucked at his thumb like a little kid.

"Bel?" Mammon reached over, shaking her lover awake. "Bel, you've got to take me to work."

Bel groaned as he wrapped an arm around Fran, curling up into a ball. "Five more minutes..."

"We all need to have showers, Bel. Come on; up you get."

Fran had awoken to their voices. He cracked a teal eye open as he regarded Mammon, a tired expression on his face. "Can I have a shower first...? I'm sore..."

Mammon nodded, helping Fran off the bed and into the bathroom. She then turned her attention back to Bel as the blond lay curled beneath the blankets again, a relaxed smile on his face.

"You've got to get in the shower once Fran has his." Mammon moved to the wardrobe as she pulled out her work uniform, laying it on the desk for once she had showered. "Are you listening to me, Bel?"

"Yes, Mammy... Shower after Froggy... Just so tired..." Bel's smile disappeared, replaced instead by a frown.

"I know, Bel." Mammon _did _know – while their intercourse sessions were few and far between, Bel's stamina wasn't exactly up to the challenge. "I'd drive to work today, but you have to take Fran to school."

"He could walk..."

"It's storming, and it'll take him a while to get there." The girl pulled her watch off her wrist as she prepared herself for the shower, knowing that Fran didn't usually take long in there. "You'll have to drop him off after you've taken me to work or he'll be late."

By now, Bel had pushed himself into an upright position, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. He nodded, more to himself than Mammon.

"Don't forget to pick him up after lunch and take him to his doctor's appointment." Mammon busied herself with gathering up everyone's clothing from the previous night and throwing them into the laundry basket in the corner. "He can have the rest of the day off. Take him out for ice cream or something afterwards."

Bel nodded. He climbed out of the bed and stretched, heading downstairs to take his medication. When he came back up, he found Fran standing in his own room, getting dressed for his day at school.

"I have to go to the doctor's today, senpai." Fran's teal eyes were as emotionless as ever, but there was warmth in his voice today. "Can you pick me up at twelve?"

"Mammy already told me." Bel leant against the doorframe, crossing his arms against his chest. "She said you can stay home after it."

"Okay, senpai." Fran turned his attention back to his clothing, but once Bel had started walking away again, he called out to the older male. "Senpai...?"

"What is it?" Bel stopped once again by Fran's room, his obscured eyes shining with curiosity; it was rare for Fran to ask them for things, after all.

"...After that... Can we maybe spend some time together...?" A hopeful smile crossed Fran's face, his fingers starting to tremble.

Bel nodded, knowing this was the first time Fran had ever shown an interest in being social. "Is ice cream for lunch okay?"

"Yes, senpai." Fran's smile became more natural at this question, as if a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.

Bel nodded to himself as he left the room again; though he would never be as comfortable with someone as he was with Mammon, he felt pretty damn okay when he was with Fran.


End file.
